


The Promise

by cinderspenguin



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Cheating, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Kidnapping, Love Triangles, Minor Character Death, Multiverse, Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:54:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 48
Words: 56,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23075071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinderspenguin/pseuds/cinderspenguin
Summary: You decide to return the stones, You are the only one who did not go back in time so it makes sense, there is no chance of running into your past self. But the return visit proves to be more complicated then you thought it would be.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Steve Rogers & Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader, Steve Rogers/Reader, Thor (Marvel)/Reader (minor), Thor/Reader, Tony Stark/Reader, Tony Stark/Reader (minor), james "bucky" barnes x reader
Comments: 91
Kudos: 193





	1. Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> The timelines are represented in separate chapters. I am going to give the characters nicknames so that they will be more easily distinguished.
> 
> Tags will be updated as I go.
> 
> 4/29/20
> 
> I inserted a chapter at ch 10 so the proceeding chapters have shifted. Sorry for the confusion I had written it prior (Actually in order with the placement of it) and simply forgot to add it. It helps to establish the issues that will be coming soon.

“I promise I’ll be right back.” You say to Steve who is watching you step onto the platform. A tear falling down your cheek. You can see the tears welling in his eyes. He did not want you to do this but it made sense. You were the only one completely unknown in these worlds, you'd go unnoticed.

“You’d better be…” He calls from next to Bruce. Bruce is watching you anxiously. You hope that when you come back it will be with Natasha, but you are not sure if that can even happen. You focus your gaze on Steve's seeing the love in Steve’s clear blue eyes, then they are gone.

You return all the stones back to their worlds and spots in time. When you return the time stone, you hit the button to return. You are back instantly. Looking up from the platform you expect to see sky blues eyes, but instead there are bright oceanic blue eyes staring back at you. They are not the same.

You look around trying to figure out where you are when you hear a voice, Steve’s voice. Your eyes going wide. “Steve?” You can’t believe what you are seeing. You look around and find James standing near a tree. “James!” You step off the platform. Steve moves to you, but you rush past Steve and jump into James’s arms. James becoming stiff as his arms slowly wrap around you, holding you in a brief hug before pushing you back. “I missed you!” You say to him. His eyes to going wide. He and Steve sharing a look.

“I’m glad to see you too, but I think Stevie is waiting,” Bucky smirks at you. Cupping your chin in his hand he turns your face to Steve. You look at him, studying him, the obvious confusion on Steve’s face mirroring your own. 

"How…?” you look at Steve, stuttering in confusion. He pulls you in, crushing you to him. He pulls back slightly, his lips claiming yours, kissing you deeply. You push him away. “Steve…what the hell?!?” You step back, moving to Bucky, wrapping your arm around his back attaching yourself to his side. “What’s going on?” You ask James softly. “I thought Steve was dead?”

“Wait…what?” Steve roars. James steps back, a mixture of confusion and astonishment form on his face.

“Doll. What are you talking about? Steve, he’s been alive longer then I have.” It’s your turn to be surprised. You look at Steve, who is staring at you like a lovesick puppy, then you look to James, who is looking really uncomfortable.

“No…” You step back from them. “James…stop playing games. This isn’t even funny.” Your voice getting louder, higher, you are beginning to feel panicked. 

“Steve…I uh…I don’t think this is not our Y/N.” Bucky says to Steve. Steve looks at you then at Bucky, suddenly feeling sick. He knows the answer, but he needs to ask.

“Y/N, who have you…” Steve struggles to say it, swallowing before starting again. “Are you dating Bucky?” Steve finishes looking to Bucky who looks back at Steve. Bucky trying to measure Steve. He is thinking the same thing but knew that putting it to words would destroy Steve.

“Steve…” You say moving closer to James. “James and I have been dating…well since before...you know. Steve, we told you all this, remember?” Steve collapses onto his knees. Bucky doesn’t move, remaining frozen in place. You look from Steve to James. Trying to figure out what kind of game is going on here. Looking back to Steve. When you hear him sobbing you decide to speak, knowing something is terribly wrong. 

“Steve?” Dropping in front of him you reach out for him. Wanting to comfort him. When your fingers brush his shoulder he jerks away. “Don’t…just don’t…” you can hear that he is broken. You pull your hand away from him, standing, you move away. You look up at James, who looks at you briefly before looking away.

“James…” You feel your heart sinking. You look around and see Bruce, who seems have preoccupied himself with the controls on the teleporter.

“Bruce?” He looks up at you. “Can you show me to my room?” You can’t deal with being here, being near them anymore.

“Ummm…Sure.” He shoots an apologetic look at Steve and Bucky before walking you back to the compound.

After a moment you ask, “Banner? Do you know who I am?”

“I know who we sent into the quantum realm. But I don’t think you are that person.” He answers.

“I don’t think so either.” You look around. “But honestly, it seems so weird. Everything looks the same. Even you big guy.”

“So the other me managed to merge too?” 

“Yeah. So…Thanos. He came here too?”

“Yes, we managed to get everyone back. Except for Natasha. She got us the soul stone.” You can sense the loss in Bruce’s tone.

“You and Natasha, you were together in this life too?”

“Ummm…no…we almost did." Bruce pauses for a moment. "but she was…she was engaged to James.”

“WHAT?” Your fiancé was engaged to someone else?

“Yeah…it was kind of funny, they spent the better part of a year trying to kill each other, but then after James got his programing cleaned, they began dating, Shared life experience I guess?”

“What programming?”

“HYDRA programming. The Winter Soldier protocol?”

You stop walking now. It is beginning to make sense. “So Bucky was your Winter Soldier.” You consider this for a moment. “How do I fit into all this?”

“You were Steve’s girl. When he came out of the ice, you were there, you helped him into the 21st century.” You are starting to realize that everything is similar to your world except that, here, you are with the wrong man.

“But Steve…he…he’s different now.”

“Different how?”

“Well, he’s taller and built like Bucky.” You didn’t recognize him. “He is nothing like the man I knew.”

“Steve took the serum…”

“Wait, what?”

“The super-soldier serum, Steve took it. Bucky is in some form a super-soldier too, but with him it’s different. Hydra enhanced him in a different way. After the fall from the train…”

“Oh my God…” You realize what has happened. “Steve and Bucky lived each other’s lives.”

It is now Bruce’s time to stop. “Are you saying in your world Steve is the Winter Soldier?”

“Yes…and I need to get back there. My James…he’ll lose it without me.” You take in a deep breath. “I promised him I would be back. He lost Steve for the fucking stone, and if he loses me…” You don’t even want to put words to the damage your absence will cause.

“Y/N…it is Y/N, right?” You nod. “If you are here there is a good chance the other you. Our you. Is there. Maybe she can help keep James on track while everyone figures this out.”

“I…maybe.”

“I guess what I am trying to say is here, you…she had a large part in helping James, so maybe she can do the same there?”

“For their sake, I hope so.”


	2. Arrival 2.0

You were only gone for a few seconds, but what you return to is vastly different. Not at first glance, but there is someone missing. You spin around, sure it is a joke. He was just there when you left. “Steve???” You call out. Missing the strange look James gives Bruce. “Okay guys really funny, where’s Steve?”

“Doll…" James walks over to you, holding out a hand for you as you step down. “You know Steve is gone…”

“What?” you collapse on the platform. “What happened!?! He was just here? He was...” you direct your anger at Bruce. “You said I would be gone for a minute, five at most! What the hell Bruce!”

“Doll…” Bucky pulls you to him. Running his hand over your hair smoothing it. “You were gone a minute 30 seconds. Just long enough to make me worry I lost the only person I had left that I cared about.”

“Wait…what?” You have never had Bucky tell you he cared for you, not in the seven years you’ve known him. “Bucky…what the hell?”

“Steve gave his life for the soul stone.” You hear Natasha telling you stepping out from behind Bruce, moving to stand next to him. “You know this. It was either him or Bucky and he didn’t want to leave you without your fiancé. He cared too much about you to do that.” Seeing Natahsa is another shock, but the words she spoke sending you into a tail spin.

“My what…. what?” You push Bucky away from you. “No…no…no…no” You break down sobbing uncontrollably. “God…”

“Y/N? You are Y/N, right?” Bruce asks.

“Well, yeah, who else would I be?!” you snap. Sliding further away from Bucky who is looking hurt. Your eyes snapping to Natasha. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Natasha?" Bruce can barely whisper the name.

“Y/N. Who is dead in your world?” Natasha asks, picking up what is happening. 

“Well…you are…” your words feeling awkward. Natasha swallows hard.

“In your world, did I go to retrieve the soul stone?”

“Yes…you and Clint.” You sigh, poor Clint is still unable to talk about it.

“It makes sense.” She says in an aside to Bruce. “He is the man who saved me more than anyone. I would return the favor, for him and his family.”

“What about us Doll?” Bucky says next to you.

“Bucky. There is no us.” You pause, letting that sink in before you say the worst of it. “I’m with Steve.”

“Oh…” is all he says before he stands up walking away.

“Bucky!” You call after him. “Bucky, wait!”

“Y/N… just let him go,” Natasha says walking over to you. “This is a lot for him to take in. You just told him he no longer has the only living person in his life that meant anything.” She finishes offering you a hand. “Let’s find you a place to stay while we figure out how to fix this.”

You nod, taking her hand. “Yeah I need to get back, Steve is going to go crazy thinking something happened to me.”

“I’ll start working on it, immediately,” Bruce says. Turning back to the counsel in front of him. You follow Nat back to the compound.


	3. Settling In

“Steve…I swear I never…we never.” Bucky is saying to Steve.

“I know Bucky…” His voice is wrecked. He feels empty inside. He punches the ground hard, trying to channel some of his rage. “I know I should have been the one to go. Damn it.”

“So, what are we going to do?”

“We…?” Steve looks up at him.

“Yeah…punk, we,” Bucky answers with a slight chuckle.

“But I thought…” Steve can’t finish.

“What that I would take your girl, try to make her mine? Steve, I…I could never.” Bucky says looking away. He is attracted to you, he admits that. Hell ,he told Steve that, but he knew that you were head over heels for Steve, and Steve for you. There is no way he is going to ruin Steve’s happiness for his own selfish need.

Steve sighs getting up. “Well, we better go talk to her. Find out where she is from, so we can get my girl back.” Steve jumps up and the two head into the bunker. Bucky silently scolding himself for letting himself think that maybe he would get the girl.

“So, it feels strange calling you Y/N. Sorry, but it’s not you, not our version of you.” Bruce says as you enter the compound.

“I guess it would be.” You think for a moment. I guess you can call me Snowflake, James always called me that.

Bruce cocks and eyebrow at you. “Snowflake?”

You smile. “Yeah, he would always say I was unique and as beautiful as a snowflake.” Bruce nods. “Winter was his favorite time of year, and no, the irony of your world is not lost on me.” 

“Your James seems like a good guy; he sounds like he really cares about you.” Bruce pulls the door open for you and you step inside. Briefly looking around you see that this is very similar to the compound you left behind as well. The color scheme is more vibrant with the reds and golds but the overall design is the same.

“Yes, he is, he is the love of my life.” You smile, there is a darker truth under that but it's too complicated to go into.

“You do know that this Bucky, our Bucky is not the same man, right? He has had different life experiences, those experiences shaped him into a different person.” Bruce’s concern is evident in his voice.

“I am aware of how psychology and personality development work. They were part of my training.”

This time it is Bruce who is surprised. “Training? What training?” He asks concern returning quickly.

“The red room, I trained with Natasha, that’s how I got recruited. Natasha brought me in after I defected.”

“Oh…” Bruce says feeling a tinge of guilt. He made a snap judgment just like people would do about Natasha. The very thing that pushed Natasha away from him.

“What did your version of me do to get recruited?”

“She hacked Tony’s mainframe and left a ton of porn in all his reports to Fury.” Bruce chuckled. “Tony tried to pick her up at S.H.I.E.L.D. party, she was there as a server. She thought it was a funny way to get back at him.”

“If I knew how to do that I would have done the same. So Tony is a bit of a playboy here too?”

“Ummm…he was…he died defeating Thanos, using the stones on him when he jumped here from 2014.” Bruce’s voice filling with regret.

You look at Bruce, studying him. He was completely earnest in what he was saying. Your eyes trail down seeing his arm charred. “I thought…” He looks at his arm as the two of you cross to the elevator. “Yeah, I did, I brought everyone back, but then Thanos came back from 2014 and well…Tony.” Bruce doesn’t finish, not needing to.

“We lost Thor…” you say softly, “He snapped us all back. Then he…” You feel tears falling. Thor was someone you held dear. “He was…we were…” you want to come clean here, but you can’t. You can’t make this situation any more complicated than it already is.

“Well, our Thor is alive and well and living in New Asgard.”

“New Asgard?” you are throughly confused.

Bruce hits the button for a floor. “Thor relocated his people after the destruction of Asgard. Did that not happen in your world?”

“It almost did, but…” you shake your head. “It doesn’t matter.” You go silent watching the floor numbers rise then the doors open. “I just need to get back there.”

“I will work on it. It shouldn’t take long, I will just have to trace back the track you came on to the point of your origin, and then we should be able to recreate your path to return.

“You make it sound so simple.” You smile knowing it is more complicated then Bruce was making it sound.

“Well…it’s more complicated then it sounds and with Tony gone…”

“I have faith in you, Bruce.” You smile at him. “So where am I staying?” You motion to the hallway of doors.

“I hope it’s not too crass, but I was going to put you up in Nat’s old room.Your room...or well hers... is with Steve, so...” He looks at you, studying your expression. “Well, she hasn’t used it in a few years, not since she and James ....”

“Bruce, thank you....” You brush past him. “Which room?” 

“The second door on the left.” He points down the right-side hall.

“Thank you, Bruce.” You smile turning back to him, surprising him with a hug. “You are the only constant in this world I can relate to.” You release him and head off to the room.


	4. Introductions

“So...” Natasha is trying to find a way to ask you about your world. 

“Nat…please I can’t. I was just told that the only man I have ever truly loved is dead.” You stop walking, looking at her to ensure she gets the point. “I am not in the mood for small talk.”

Nat nods and continues walking. You sigh, this whole situation must be hard on her too. “What were you going to ask me?”

“I just…” she looks around conspiratorially. “Were you cheating on Steve with Thor in your world?”

“WHAT?” you spin on her. “No…why would I?” then the truth sweeps over you. “The other me was cheating on James, wasn’t she?”

“Yes, she was…but Thor’s gone now sooo…”

“What…how…” Before you can form a question. You hear a voice calling to you from the compound. 

“Angel cakes…are you and Frosty fighting again?” Tony’s overly cheery voice comes from the exit.

“Tony?” you feel tears falling from your eyes. You take off running to him. You jump into his arms.

“Whoa…hey there…” Tony says wrapping his arms around you. Natasha continues leisurely walking to the two of you. Her eyebrows raised, but otherwise she is unphased. You begin crying in earnest onto your friend’s shoulder.

“Hey, Tony.” Natasha greeting him with an amused voice. Tony shoots her a confused look. “I see you’ve met ‘Alt. Y/N.’”

“Who?” Tony gently pries you from his neck. “Calm down Y/N, I’m not going anywhere.” You burst out laughing hysterically. “Ok…sweetie you just earned a visit to the med bay.” He shoots a confused ‘what the hell?’ look at Nat and guides you to the med bay.

After an hour of multiple tests, they discover one thing. Your DNA marker is surprisingly similar to ‘Snowflake’s’, but you lack the chemical enhancements that she underwent. Other than that you are healthy. While all the tests are going on you have this weird feeling about Tony, he is watching you closely, too closely. You begin to worry that he thinks you are some spy or HYDRA agent.

“Tony…You died to save us all in my world.” You hope that telling him this will break his intense gaze. It does. He looks up to you then down at his hands and quickly turns away.

“I hear you are with Steve in your world and he’s alive?”

“Yes, he is…we lost Nat and you. But everyone else is back.” You say not sure where this is going.

“Steve died here. He got us the soul stone. And Thor did the snap to get everyone back.” Tony says softly, his qrief peeking through. “And me…what did I do? How did I die?”

“A version of Thanos from 2014 came and tried to take the stones from us.” You take in a deep breath remembering. “You used them to banish him, he dusted.”

“Huh…” Tony says shaking his head. “So Thor?”

“He’s alive, but well, he’s taking the loss of his world hard. Asgard was destroyed and he created a new home here, or there..." You wave your arm in the air as if in explanation. "...somewhere in Norway. Kind of fitting since that is where Norse mythology has its roots.”

“So…do you and he, are you seeing Thor?”

“No…I know that the other me, she was seeing Thor behind Bucky’s back. I…I could never do that.”

“Not just Thor.”

“What?”

“She was seeing someone other than Thor.” Tony turning to look at you. “James…he was distant, he loves you…her…but he was obsessed with fixing Steve. They went to Wakanda to fix his arm and get the programming permanently removed. He was gone a lot. And…she…well, she needed someone there. Then Thor left to go fight for Asgard, and well you were alone again.”

You start to understand, the looks, the comfortable reaction he had when you hugged him. “Tony were we having an affair.”

“We were…are. Well, she and I are.” Tony looks away in shame. “I’ve never admitted it to anyone.”

“But…what about James? I…”

"Steve killed my family and YOUR James covered it up!…Do you think I give a fuck?”

“But I mean, why would I be engaged to him if I am so unhappy?”

“Because…when he is here, you are happy…with him. But…” Tony trails off. “I guess now that Steve is gone, maybe he will be around more.”

“This is so…I am such a mess.”

“I suppose this is a lot to take in.”

“This other version of me…she is so not like me.”

“I’m beginning to understand that.” Tony’s disappointment is evident.

“I’m sorry I’m not her.” You offer. “I do know that I need to get back. I have the feeling she is probably trying to do the same thing.”

“Yeah, I have an idea about that.”


	5. An Understanding

You look around the room, it is a blank slate, Greys mostly, and whites. You walk over to the love seat near the window and drop into it. You are completely devoid of emotions. Unsure of when you are going to get back to your family, your James and Tony. The only thing familiar about being here is Bruce. He is the one thing you are holding on to, he is your hope, your only way of getting back home.

You stare out onto the compound at the lake beyond. Trying to imagine what your James is doing right now. He must be hurting, torn apart by this mess. Your mind drifts off to him. Then you think about James here. He is more rugged, long hair, scruffy, and the metal arm. He is like Steve, but there is something inside him, a darkness that Steve didn’t have.

As if on cue you hear a knock on the door. You look at it, debating on whether or not you want to open it. Then you hear the knock getting louder. You hear Steve’s voice saying something loudly, to who you assume is Bucky, followed by more banging. You get up and go to the door throwing it open. “What the hell James! I need some time!”

“And we need some answers!” Steve replies, pushing past you walking into your room. Bucky glances up at you briefly before dropping his eyes back to the floor, slowly following Steve into your room.

“Well, just come on in then.” Your voice dripping with sarcasm. You poke your head out into the hallway, “Anyone else want to come join the fucking party?” You look over your shoulder, glaring at Bucky. “Anyone? No? Fine.” You slam the door, then turn to the two men. Steve standing by the window with his arms crossed. Bucky is standing near him with his back turned to you looking out your window. You can tell he is uncomfortable; he is fidgeting a bit. “Can I sit down on the sofa or do I need permission first?” you snark.

Steve scowls at your words, then softens his posture. “Y/N…” He glances at Bucky, challenging him to stay quiet. Bucky just puts his hands up in front of him signaling that he is going to stay out of it. “We are… I am understandably concerned, about my Y/N. We were just hoping, maybe you would have some idea of what has happened to her, or tell us about what your life is like so we can know what she is dealing with?”

“Well, she is dealing with my life, which if I’m being honest is probably a little confusing for her. For one, your dead, and when you were alive you were…well…you were him.” You finish pointing to Bucky.

“What?” Steve is shocked.

You turn to gaze at Bucky. “Yeah, from what Bruce told me, I am guessing you, not Steve, is the one that fell from the train in the Alps.”

Steve shares an uncomfortable look with James. “Yeah, he died saving my life.”

“In my timeline, you were a hydra assassin. Brainwashed and well you almost killed me.”

“Oh…” Steve instantly feeling guilty even though she is not talking about him personally. “No wonder seeing me put you off.”

“Steve…when Bucky found you…I helped him bring you in. We…the other you and I, we became pretty close.”

“That sounds like what happened with us but…” James begins but stops himself when he sees Steve's hurt look.

“You were an assassin.” You say to Steve when James seems to drift off.

“How do you think our Y/N is doing with your world?” Steve asks. You can’t help but smile, he is so thoughtful it reminds you of your James.

“I’m not sure, if you tell me about her I could tell you a bit more maybe. She seems different from me.”

“Well…” Steve begins, unsure of what he should say, unsure of where he should start. “She is a computer hacker with a big heart and a great sense of humor. Her favorite thing to do is hack 527 committees, steal their funds and give them to people who are suffering.”

“So, she is a hacker, and a saint.” You snark, getting nervous about her being in your life, she is going to blow everything up you’ve been hiding. “Let me guess you were her first love, Steve?”

“Actually…” Bucky speaks up this time, loving this part of your past. “She was dating a guy who turned out to be a hydra agent, kinda shook her up, so she became untrusting of people, until Steve.” Steve’s head dropping thinking about you and how you opened up to him, trusted him so easily.

“So she is naïve? Or does she just have bad instincts?”

“She just isn’t a trained spy.” Steve snaps in your defense.

“Whoa…slow down chief. I am just trying to sus the girl out.” You are surprised at Steve’s sudden defense of you. Your Steve is quieter and more reserved and rarely raised his voice to anyone.

“Stevie has the girl on a pedestal.” James jokes. “I can give you a better picture of her. She is a lot like Steve here. She sees things in black and white, there is a very little grey in her life. But she is also a bit of a prankster, and sometimes her pranks can cross lines.”

You consider this for a moment deciding to start asking questions to find out how much like you she might be. “So, who was the closest to her, besides the two of you?” James takes this question. “Well, …that’s a loaded question…”

“Really?”

“Well…” James starts looking to Steve who suddenly finds his sleeve interesting. “Steve accused her of having a thing for Tony for a while, but that was just Tony being overly flirty. She was just trying to be nice about it, but Steve lost it, they got into a big fight and they didn’t talk for a week. She is a bit stubborn and can hold a bit of a grudge.”

“But she never…”

“Cheated? No of course not.” Bucky says. “Although…” He gets this grin on his face and you finally know you found something. “Thor was after her pretty hard until it became clear that she and Steve were dating.” You can feel Steve’s eyes gauging you.

“Are you okay?” You turn to Steve.

“Yeah…I’m fine. I just…” Steve takes in a deep breath. “I get the feeling there is more to this conversation then my Y/N.”

“And you’d be right." You are trying to cover your own ass. 

"I just want to know what she is trying to cover up?” Bucky adds now they are both staring you down. Your training should be keeping you calm, but the looks on the angry, untrusting faces of the two people you would normally trust most, breaks you.

“I may have left a bad situation behind. If your girl digs too deep, it's going to cause a lot of issues for me.”

“What kind of situation?” Steve is on edge now, concerned for you.

“Well…Tony is not dead in my world…but Thor is. Nat is alive too.” You start trying to avoid the raw truth.

“That doesn’t answer my question!” Steve moves closer.

“Well, I guess it depends on how much you trust your girl?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Well…” You get a smirk on your face, this next part is going to sting Steve. But after hearing how ‘perfect’ he thinks his girl is you want to knock her down a peg, even if it is only in his mind. “I am sort of sleeping with Tony…on the side.”

“What?!?” Steve taking a step back. “You’re saying she…”

“Well…I was…and...when in Rome?” You smirk before looking down, feeling a bit of guilt, knowing you are messing with someone else's life.

“You were cheating on other me with Tony?” It's James turn to look hurt.

“It’s not you.” You say softly. “My James is harder, colder than you. You seem more open, and honestly,” You move closer to him. “That arm…on you…looks hot!” James quickly steps back as you keep moving toward him. “I’m not Steve’s girl…you know that, right? I mean, technically I am your girl. I just happen to look like the one that Steve is with.”

“Are you kidding me?” Steve blurts out. James is just speechless, unsure of how to act or what to say. “You are not having sex with ANYONE here!” Steve says looking at Bucky, wondering why he hasn’t said anything.

“Calm down Cap…I’m just saying.” You walk over to the sofa and drop back down again. Seeing a remote you click on the television. “You’re the one who wanted answers. I am just answering your questions.”

“Fine…is she in any danger there? Besides, turning into you?” Steve taunts.

“Very funny.” You sneer back. “Well, not really, if they know she is not me. Which I am sure they will, especially considering.” You glance at Steve.

“Do you think they can find a way to get her back here?”

“With Tony AND Bruce on it? Yeah, no problem…me on the other hand…we might just have a problem with that…I adore Bruce, but this is just not, well this kind of stuff isn’t exactly his field.” You sigh…missing your James. “But Tony did lay the foundation work, and I picked up a few things, maybe Bruce and I can put our heads together and figure something out.” You feel yourself breaking, tears pooling in your eyes. “Am I ever going to get home?” 

You look up at Steve then James. Steve sits down next to you wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “We’ll figure something out.” You pull away from Steve slowly.

“Sorry, it’s just, getting comfort from you feels weird.” Steve nods looking at Bucky, tipping his head to the door.

“Yeah, we'll let you get some rest. Sorry to barge in.” James says moving to the door, Steve gets up, following him. Your eyes stay on your hands as you hear the door clicking shut.


	6. Tony's Plan

“Tony, I am not sure that this is a good idea.” You are really not liking this plan.

“Why not?”

“Well, for one. WE are not sure this is even going to work.”

“Do you doubt my mad genius?”

“No, it just seems so…simple.”

“Sweetheart, it is anything but simple.”

“I mean the concept.”

“Well, sometimes the best solutions are.”

“How long will it take to reprogram the equipment?”

“Well, I should have it ready in about 48 hours.”

“And in the meantime?”

“Well…” Tony raised an eyebrow. “Oh God, I’m going to go see what Nat is doing.”

“Anytime you change your mind,” Tony calls after you as he starts working the problem.

You shake your head, despite the situation you are glad Tony is very much like the Tony you lost. You are a little sad that he never found Pepper, but you are glad for his sense of humor and his mind. You’ll need both if you are to survive this. After a few minutes, you find Nat and Bruce they are in the common room watching a movie. You look at the screen and don’t’ recognize it and realize that it shouldn’t surprise you much.

“Hey…do ya mind if I?” Nat sits up a bit, making more room for you. Nat smiles motioning to the sofa. You move over sitting down.

“So you and Tony make a plan?” Nat asks you.

“I think so. He wants to use the data from the mechanism to see if he can find my origin point, then retrace the route so I can return back home.”

“Is he working off the multidimensional parallel realities theory then?” Bruce asks suddenly interested in the conversation.

“I don’t know what that is?”

“Parallel universes suggests the idea that space-time is flat, the number of possible particle configurations in multiple universes would be limited, but within those limitations are multiple version of the same person. Each having choosen a different path based on major life decisions.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right. He said something about a map and a plane. I didn’t get it all, quantum mechanics is not my thing.” You say dismissively. Bruce suddenly starts moving to get up, Nat looks at him questioningly. “Bruce?”

“I’m going to go see if I can help Tony.” He says, he kisses Nat softly on the forehead. You smile, glad to see them together. As weird as the situation is, Nat was always truly happiest with Bruce, not James.

After he leaves Nat turns to you. “So how are you doing? Really?”

“Honestly, I’m confused and scared. People seem to expect me to act a certain way, and when I don’t they seem confused.”

“They’ll adjust. You are just, well, you remind us of Snow, the other you.” She smiles at the name.

“Snow?”

“Yeah, James gave her that nickname. It had something to do with beauty and uniqueness. Then Tony took it and shortened it up to Snow, and it stuck for the rest of us.”

“Oh…”

“So how about you? Did Steve give you a nickname or something we can call you? It may help differentiate you from our girl in our minds.”

“Um not really…he sometimes calls me an angel, but mostly it’s like sweetheart or doll.” Your answer, now wondering why Steve never gave you a nickname. It is something that couples do, don’t they?

“Well, then Angel it is,” Nat says. She stands up, “Come on, Angel.” She grabs your hand. “Let’s go see what trouble we can get into.” You let her pull you to the elevator, laughing inside, so glad to have your bestie back even if it’s for such a short time.

Bruce walks into the lab. “Tony, how are you going to do interdimensional travel? All the research on multidimensions is theoretical at best.”

“You gonna tell that girl that. She is already clinging to her sanity by a string. She is in an alternate universe and is unsure if she is getting back to her life, I had to give her some hope.”

“Tony, she’s not our Snow.”

“I know…” Tony’s heart breaks a bit.

“You miss her.”

“Don’t you?”

“Of course I do, Tony. But I am not going to try to replace her with this poor girl.”

“Well, I am going to try to get this girl home and get our girl back.”

“Do you have any idea of how to reprogram the quantum tunnel device?”

“I actually don’t believe it needs to be reprogrammed at all we just need to recalculate the GPS to detect alternate realities and expand the mapping to cover where we need to go.”

“Oh is that all? Just map uncharted and unknown time and space.”

“It’s not that difficult. We mapped out own time space dimensions.”

“Tony, we knew our own time, we had an idea of what we were looking at. We won’t if we try going to her world.”

“I will. I have to.”

“Fine…fine…but Tony we have another issue. She says that you are dead in her world. How are we going to get our Y/N back?”

“I’m going to just go there and get her.”


	7. Desire and Confusion

“Bucky, you don’t think she would…”

“Steve, your girl would never do that. She loves you.”

‘I know, but…”

“But nothing! Stop thinking like that. I don’t know what her game is but Y/N, our Y/N is not like that.”

“Well, she is?” Steve motions to the door of what is now your room.

“Yeah, and she had a different life path. You remember what Bruce told us before we went to talk to her.” Bucky waits, Steve’s eye reflecting a minute of hope. “They are not the same person.”

“It’s just so hard seeing her, everything about her is exactly like my Angel.”

“Except the personality.”

“Yeah…” Steve’s thoughts trail off. “Her personality is defiantly more…tailored to the type of girl you are drawn to.” He smiles over at James.

“Wow…so…what's that mean? You giving me a free pass at your girl punk?” James jokes.

“She’s not my girl, remember?” Steve’s voice is flat with a hint of humor. “And no, even though she’s not my girl it would be a little disconcerting. Seeing you with her.”

“I got it,” He slaps his hand on Steve’s back. “No touching Dark Y/N…got it. But you Stevie…”

“NO!” Steve shoots back loudly and bluntly. The two reach the community area. Steve walking to the fridge and pours himself a glass of juice.

“Ok…ok…” James chuckles. “I tell ya, your girl should appreciate you. I mean…The way she looks…WOW…that’s an amped-up version of sexy. Your girl has some potential to look damn fine!”

“Bucky!”

“Stevie…come on…you have to see it. Those jeans low on the hips and that shirt is hugging in all the…” Steve punches James in the jaw hard. 

“Don’t talk about her like that!”

James looks at Steve shocked rubbing his jaw. “Ow…okay I get it, jeez…I was just saying, you can’t tell me you’re not tempted.”

Steve glares at Bucky. “She’s not her…” Steve's voice sounding a little less sure.

“Steve…it’s okay if you’re attracted to her. She is literally our girl, they probably even have the same DNA.”

“Bucky let it rest.”

“Sure bud…I’m just saying, no one would blame you, especially if this whole swap becomes long term.” The two remain silent sitting, watching the sunset, lost in their own thoughts.

You are sitting in your room, doing the same thing your boys are, wondering what your James is doing at this moment. Then your thoughts go to the men who just left your room, your boys. 

When did you begin thinking of them like that? They remind you of the men you left behind, but they were different. James was softer, more compassionate, warmer. And Steve… he is different too. More open, more caring. You find yourself drawn to him a bit more than you were in the other world. He exhibited confidence, a sense of purpose that your Steve never had.

You decide in that moment, if you are going to get stuck here, you might as well enjoy yourself. You get up, looking one last time at the sun setting, the sky a beautiful mix of pinks, purples, oranges, and reds, then you head off to find him. You get to the common room. It is easy to find, there is not much in the way of differences in the layouts of the compounds. You enter quietly, Steve is sitting alone in an armchair in front of the window overlooking the compound.

“Steve…about earlier…”

“It’s okay. This whole situation has everyone on edge.”

You walk over sitting on the arm of his chair. “Steve, what if I never make it back? What if I am stuck here?”

“Y/N…is that okay to call you?”

“Actually I think Bruce and I settled on Snowflake…but Snow would work, it’ll be easier. For the purpose of discussion.” You study his reaction. His head drops, then he looks up again, at you, his eyes tearing up.

“Snow…I really…I am sure Bruce can figure something out.”

“And if he can’t?”

“He will…I can’t…I can’t lose another woman that I love.” Steve’s face falls, his eyes dropping to his lap.

“Another?”

“I lost the first love I ever had in 1945. Peggy Carter. When I went into the ice…I left my whole life behind, hers included. It wasn’t until I met her…you, that I began to feel like I was alive again. She brought me life, she gave me hope again. She gave me purpose, need, and a will to keep going on. She saved me, she’s my angel.”

You feel a tear falling from your eye. You have never had anyone talk about you like that. “Wow…you really love her don’t you?”

“With all that I am.”

“I wish James felt that way about me.”

“He doesn’t?”

“Not really…he cares about me, but I feel like I am a replacement.”

“A replacement for who?”

“Gail…”

“Gail?”

“Well, …she was his girl before you…well, our version of you fell from the train. They fell in love after. Then he went into the ice…”

“So, Gail is to him, what Peggy was to me.”

“Yes.”

“And that didn’t change when he met you?”

“He claims he loves me…but I can see I am just a replacement. He still clings to what was. SO when we lost you…our Steve…”

“He withdrew even more.”

“How did you...?”

“HE did the same here. But for different reasons. I am sure if I wasn’t here for him after we lost Nat…”

“It’s okay…I get that he’s not the James I left behind.”

“I’m sorry that you don’t get the love you deserve from him.” You sense a genuine regret in Steve’s voice.

“Me too. I guess that is why I keep…why I search for it elsewhere.”

“Is Tony? I mean is he…with someone?”

“In my world no…he and I have this on again off again thing…but neither of us are truly ready to commit to each other, or anyone else really. He isn’t ready, and I was burned. I think our relationship is more due to circumstance than choice.”

“Our Tony was with a girl when we lost him. They were married and had a little girl, Morgan.”

“Huh…I can’t see my Tony as a father. He’s too much of a kid himself.”

“Yeah, he grew a lot when he met Pepper. I guess falling in love does that…it changes you.”

“I knew how that felt…but...well now I don’t have anyone. I guess I never did.”

“I’m sorry…I truly am. Being in love…and having someone love you back. It’s the best feeling in the world.” You look away from him, the knowledge that you may never feel that again hitting you. All you’ve ever known was one guy after another using you for what he needs then leaving you. Even James, for all the bravado the two of you put on to the rest, you know he doesn’t truly love you, you are just filling a hole, you are a substitute. You almost had love, but then you lost it to be with James.

“Don’t apologize…some of us aren’t as lucky as others.” Your tone a bit bitter. You feel bitter knowing that there is a version of you that has what you want, the love of a man that truly cares for you. 

You begin to hate your life. Before you can consider it more Steve moves in kissing you softly. At first, you are surprised, you tense, but then you quickly give in, surrendering to the kiss. It is soft and loving. You want more. You push yourself into him. Climbing down into his lap, straddling him. His arms wrapping around you, pulling you into him. Your hands wrapping around his neck. You begin to grind your hips into his lap. You feel his hardness beneath you, then suddenly he pushes you back.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” Steve says to you, guilt filling him. “I just wanted you to feel something real, to feel love, but this isn’t right. I’m sorry.” He moves you to the side as he gets up from the chair and leaves.


	8. Girl time

“Nat. what are you doing?” You watch in horror as she rummages through Tony’s desk.

“Looking…for…” her face lights up as she smiles. “These…” She holds up keys. “Now let's go let our hair down a bit.” She smiles, brushing past you. You follow her downstairs to the garage. She saunters over to a bright orange car the alarm beeping off.

“Where are we going?”

“A little shopping, a little dancing, girls’ stuff.” She turns arching a brow at you. “You used to love this kind of…” She realizes what she is saying, turning, she looks at you directly. “I’m sorry, what did you do for fun in your world?”

“Well…” you give this some serious thought. “I’m not really sure. I mean you and I used to go shopping together often, groceries, clothes, supplies, but we never went dancing.” 

You are unsure what she is looking for. “On occasion, we’d go to a dive bar. And have drinks as a team, but that is about it.”

“Oh…” she pauses for a second. “Well…shopping was one of the plans lets do that and see where we go from there.” She smiles, you smile back, getting into the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Tony, you forgot to account for the movement of space in your coordinates.”

“No… you are forgetting that we are not a constant, so we are moving with the target, so the calculations needed to account for that.”

“Oh…yeah…” Bruce studies the mapping protocols. “Tony…I think this might work…”

“I know…why is everyone doubting me?” Tony answers, turning to Bruce.

“Honestly, because your ‘genius’ has gotten us into trouble a few times.”

“Well, this time…I have a lot riding on it.” Tony says, looking away from his work. He gets Bruce's attention when his voice becomes serious. “No mistakes, I can’t…we can't lose her.” Bruce nods silently getting back to work.

“Boss, the Audi 8 is leaving the garage.”

“Is it driving on its own?”

“No sir, Ms. Romanov, and Ms. Y/L/N appear to be inside.”

“And…”

“You told me to inform you if Ms. Y/L/N leaves the compound.”

“Do you know their destination?”

“A shopping center, I believe sir.”

“Tony…why is FRIDAY updating you on Y/N’s whereabouts?”

“She isn’t supposed to be here, Bruce. If she is going to leave the compound, we are going to need to know where and why.”

“Is that all?”

“Why else would there be?” Tony says knowing that Bruce is not accepting his excuse.

“I don’t know…maybe because since we got the other her back, you’ve been working on a way to fix it.”

“Well, someone needs to focus on this problem.” Tony snaps.

“I just think there is more to it then what you are letting on.”

“I miss her, Bruce,” Tony says. “But more interesting, has anyone noticed that her fiancé has disappeared?”

“Tony, James hasn’t really been one to stick around much.”

“I…Doesn’t anyone know where he went even?”

“No…Tony. I tend to not get involved in everyone’s comings and goings. That what we have you for.”

“Well, that was a solid retort. Maybe this girl is a positive influence on you after all.”

“Tony just get back to work.”

“I think I have it.”

“Have what?” 

Tony motions to the screen. 

Bruce looks it over. “It’s worth running a simulation on.”

“FRIDAY.”

“On it Boss.”

“In the meantime,” Tony turns back to Bruce, then walks past him to pour a drink. “I think that James has become too volatile for our Y/N.”

“And what are you going to do? Tony, they are engaged.”

“Yeah…but maybe with her gone, I can make him realize how wrong he is for her, with her help.”

“Tony…” Bruce shakes his head. 

“Don’t Bruce,” Tony warns him. “You and I both know she is happiest when we’re together.”

“Tony…I…I just want to focus on this.” Bruce stutters looking away from Tony. Tony smiles and nods. Bruce’s reaction telling him that Bruce knows he is right.

“I’ve got somewhere else I need to be,” Tony says, suddenly leaving the room. Bruce watches him leaving, shaking his head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Nat. what am I going to use this for?” You ask holding up a lace panty set. “I usually just wear cotton.”

“That’s the point. Liven you up a bit. Maybe when you get back you’ll give Stevie a pleasant surprise.”

“Steve likes me just the way I am.”

“Yeah, but a fun surprise never hurts.”

“You really think this is what he might like?” You ask her again, looking at the navy-blue panty set.

“If he is as vanilla as you say he’ll go nuts over it.”

“He’s not vanilla…he’s just…” Nat raises an eyebrow at you. “I am perfectly content with our love life, thank you very much.”

Natasha continues studying you, then shrugs her shoulders. “If you say so…but I’d say a few sets of these little numbers and it could add a few sprinkles on the vanilla you’ve been enjoying.”

You look down at the garments in your hand, then over at the wrack with other colors. You swallow hard, blushing deeply, going over and start examining the other colors. You are intently studying a pair of silvery ones after picking up white and red ones when Natasha pokes her head over your shoulder.

“If you get those you should get these to go with them.” She smiles holding up a garter and stocking set.

“How am I supposed to get all this back?” You ask her, taking the stockings from her.

“I can get Tony to figure something out for you.” You smile at that idea, turning back to the rack grabbing the silver set as well.

“I wish I could be there to see the morning after.” Natasha chuckles.

“Me too…” Your voice low. This is the first time you thought of the fact that when you go back you will not see Tony or Nat again. “I’m going to miss you…both of you.” You look down at your purchases then head over to the register. 

Natasha makes her way after you. “Umm…here.” She tosses a platinum card onto the counter. “Your money is not good here.” She leans in closer and whispers. “I mean literally, I don’t think it will work.” You realize she is right and nod, subtlety shifting, putting your card away.

The two of you stop for lunch, take in a few more shops, then drive back to the compound. When the two of you pull up to the garage FRIDAY speaks.

“Ms. Y/N, Tony asked to see you when you returned. He is in his private quarters.

“Tell him I’ll be right there, thank you.” You answer.

“So…what is that about?” Natasha asks you, in a teasing tone.

“I’m not sure. I haven’t really talked to Tony much since I got here.”

“Well make sure to keep me informed. Girls gotta keep up with her gossip.” She jokes walking toward the labs while you head to Tony’s quarters.


	9. Bad Timing

You continue staring off over the lake, a small smile on your face. The fun has begun. Your mind briefly going to James, you realize that you are thinking of him less often than you usually do. You also realize that you are starting to like being here. In this world. You feel more accepted here, more trusted. You believe it has to do with the other you not being trained KGB and ex-Hydra.

Thinking of what you will leave behind if you are stuck here, your mind goes to Tony. He is the one person you are going to miss from there. You take another look around you, taking in the compound, noting the subtle differences. The Edward Hopper painting beside the main entrance replacing a greyscale art piece is one welcome change. Your Tony was never much for good art and color for that matter. You walk over to the painting studying it a bit when you hear someone shuffle into the room. You look over your shoulder to see a raccoon. You spin around fully unsure how to react.

“Hey Y/N.,” the raccoon says to you. You continue watching him speechless.

“Hi???” You are still trying to absorb the talking raccoon. Before you can try to assess the situation. You hear a bunch more people enter the room. Looking up you see a fairly attractive man, a blue woman, and a few seconds later, following behind them…Thor.

“Thor??” you can’t believe your eyes. He is the same man you left behind just with shorter hair and two different color eyes?

“Hello.” He smiles at you, walking over to the fridge behind you, pulling out a soda. 

“Thor…” His multi-color eyes turning on you.

“Yes?”

“Can we talk for a moment?”

“Sure thing.” He motions for you to sit on the sofa and he walks over following you. You sit down and he sits next to you leaning back on the sofa, throwing his arm over the back of the sofa behind you. You scoot back turning to face him.

“You cut your hair…” You start unsure of what to say, how to approach him.

“Well… I…it’s complicated.” He says running his hand over his head.

“I like it.” He smiles back at you.

“What would you like to discuss?” Thor asks you.

“Are you? …Did you…are you dating anyone?”

“No.” You see the hurt here and realize he must have been, but the breakup must still hurt.

“Oh…I didn’t.” You try to apologize. “I…I’m sorry.” 

Thor immediately straightens his back. Puffing out his chest. “I couldn’t be with her and perform my duties as an Avenger.” He quickly justifies. You can tell it’s a lie, you know him better.

“It’s okay…” you say reaching a hand out to him. You look around and see that the others have left, you are alone with him. You lean in capturing his lips with yours. They are just as you remember, soft and gentle. He quickly returns the kiss, pulling you closer. After a few seconds, he pulls away.

“Lady Y/N, I am confused…Steve. You are with Steve are you not?”

“Not anymore,” you reply, not wanting to go into a full explanation. “I just want to feel something real; I can’t get that with Steve, not now.” You whisper softly, retaking his lips. After a few moments of heavy kissing, Thor picks you up wrapping your legs around him walking you off to his quarters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Bucky, I don’t understand why I did it.” Steve's strained voice making Bucky feel guilty for telling Steve he should ‘go for it’. 

“Steve, she is Y/N, essentially, it’s not that bad.”

“Bucky, you were always a little doll dizzy. I am a little more devoted.”

“I know…I’m sorry.” Bucky looks away from his broken friend. “I just…”

“You don’t think we’re getting her back, do you?”

“We will, it’s just a matter of time.”

“So why…”

Bucky doesn’t let him finish. “Because I know you, you will go on for the rest of your life, not moving on if…”

It’s Steve’s turn to interrupt. “If we can’t get her back.” Steve knows that is a real possibility. They couldn’t even create the machine to time travel without Tony’s help. “Bucky…that Y/N. That is not her.”

“I know Steve, but she could be.” Bucky looks up claiming Steve’s eyes with his. “I...you want her to be.”

“What if…I can’t do that to my girl.”

“Steve, she would want you to move on,” Bucky says. He knows it's only been a few days, but considering the circumstances, and the complete lack of progress Bruce is making on locating your point of origin. He is already losing hope for Steve’s girl to return.

“She would want me to remain true to her until she returns.” Steve corrects.

“Stevie…”

“Bucky…I get what you are doing. I appreciate it.” Steve takes in a deep breath. “I just can’t. Not right now.” After a moment of silent consideration, he continues. “I will try to make her feel comfortable here. That is all I can do.”

Bucky smiles, that is a start. That is how you and Steve started. “Ok Punk, if that’s all you can manage, I’ll take it.”

“Jerk,” Steve says back. He wanted to unload his guilt on Bucky for kissing you, but somehow, he got talked into being your personal protector. He doesn’t know how it happened, but it does feel natural. “I’m going to go apologize for my behavior earlier.” Bucky shoots up an eyebrow at Steve. “And help her feel more comfortable here until we can get her home.”

“Good,” Bucky says. 

Steve gets up intending to talk to you, assuming you are still in the common room. Steve walks down the hall to the large living area, running through his mind what he is going to say. Repeating in his mind that he is just going to help you, help you feel comfortable here until they can get his girl back.

The problem is, in the back of his mind are Bucky’s words. ‘What if she is gone? She’d want you to move on.’ The girl here is the physical embodiment of what he has lost. 'She’s not your girl.’ He shakes his head, no one is going to be her, but he isn’t going to make the mistake he made before. IF his girl is gone, he will at least have a part of her here.

His thoughts are interrupted when he enters the common room seeing you in Thor’s lap, lips locked, his left hand moving up and down your back, his right firmly on your ass. Steve stands there, frozen, mind blank. His heart sinking. He had rejected you, wanting to be faithful to his girl. And now, even though he didn’t want to pursue what you wanted, he wanted to at least know there was a chance. What he is seeing in front of him is telling him it’s not.

He quickly turns walking back down the hall. Getting back to his room, he slams the door, almost taking it off its hinges. Bucky looks up from his book, slightly concerned.

“Didn’t go too good?” Bucky jokes, then seeing the anger on his face turns serious. “What’s going on?”

“Oh, it’s going good for someone. Just not me.” Steve barks out into the room.

“Steve, you going to tell me what has got your feathers ruffled? Or just storm around destroying your quarters?”

“I found her, but she is busy, with Thor.”

“Thor?” Bucky is surprised, Thor was never on your radar as far as he knew.

“Yeah, she was on his lap and they were, getting pretty friendly.”

“Oh…” Bucky says softly. Clearing his throat, he speaks louder, comforting Steve, or trying to. “Steve, we will get your girl back, I have an idea.”

Steve looks up at him, unsure what he is thinking, then looking to where Bucky’s eyes are, he smiles. “Of course.”


	10. Changing Partners

“Tony?” you enter the room. The lights are dim and there are candles lit. The whole room is giving off this romantic feel, it is making you uncomfortable. “Tony, I can come back if you’re…”

“No, you’re right where I want you to be.” Tony’s voice is coming from the sofa. Your eyes adjust just enough so that you can make him out, sitting in the dim lighting in a black robe. He gets up walking over to you. You stand in place unable to move, unsure what he is thinking. You feel like you are intruding on something.

“Tony, FRIDAY said you wanted to talk to me.” You shift on your feet uncomfortably.

“Yes, I did.” He steps closer. His hand reaching up cupping your cheek. Your instincts telling you to pull away, but the trust that you have for this man willing you to stay. “I thought maybe we could talk.” He answers, pulling his hand away after a few moments.

“What you need help with?” You ask walking over to the sofa, sitting down. He sits next to you.

“I need you to help me convince the other you that she should be with me, and not James.”

“How? I’m not…there is no way we are going to see each other?”

“No, you probably won’t, but…” He leans in closer to you, pausing for a moment before his lips meet yours. You don’t know how to react. It isn’t until he pulls you closer and you feel his tongue searching for the entrance, your mind is registering what is going on. You put your hands on his chest, trying to push him back. You open your mouth to protest, when you feel his tongue entering, misreading your intent.

He pulls you flush against him, kissing you deeply. The kiss enveloping you. It feels good. You feel it throughout your body. You feel yourself melting into him, into the kiss. Tony begins pushing you back and you let him. You feel yourself falling back on to the sofa, Tony following you. When you are on your back, he moves from kissing your lips to go down your neck and to your shoulder, his hand sliding down your side.

“Tony… wait to stop!! This is wrong!” Tony pulls away looking down at you.

“It doesn’t feel wrong.” His, voice is breathy.

“Tony, I’m not her…I’m with Steve.” You say as he resumes kissing your neck.

“He’s not here…” Tony whispers softly, his warm breath caressing you skin..

“No…but I…” Tony’s lips capture yours again and your will is close to crumbling. You move your hand over him at first in exploration, but then push him back again. “Tony, this is not going to help you get her back.”

“Yes…it will.” He whispers pulling back this time letting you shift around to get up. “If I can win you over, I can win her back.”

“Tony…we are not the same person.” You try to remind him.

“No…” Tony reaches for his drink on the table nearby. “You are better. You are fully committed to someone else. If I can convince you to be with me, then I can convince her to be with me and leave him.”

“But aren’t the two of you? She is already having sex with you, right?”

“I want her to be mine alone, I’m done sharing.”

“Oh…” you are quiet for a minute. 

“You seem to trust your version of me. Do you trust me?”

“Yes, I do. I…” You want to say that you feel a connection with him like you did with your Tony. But you are afraid Tony might see it as a deeper connection than what it really is.

“We’ll get you back home. I promise. And I’ll get my girl back here.”

You lean back against the sofa, resting your head on the back. “I believe you.” Your eyes meeting his.

“Good…” He leans in, brushing a lock of hair from your face. “Now…” He leans back in kissing you again. You let him for a moment before you stop him. 

“Tony…I…" you stammer. 

"lt’s okay, it will take time, I get it.” He smiles. Pulling back. “I have one of your favorite movies ready if you want to watch it.”

“Sure, that’d be nice.” You do want to spend time with Tony, even if he is not your Tony. Tony tells FRIDAY to start the movie. The lights go out and the movie starts. Tony lays a blanket over you; you curl up into it and into him. He wraps an arm over your shoulders as you cuddle into his side. You sigh, finally content.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Natasha, where is Y/N?” James asks interrupting her cardio. 

“She is with Tony.” She turns off the techno music, grabbing a towel from the bench nearby, dabbing the sweat from her brow. “I thought you were in Wakanda?”

“I was…Suri is working on getting Y/N back.” James offers in way of explanation. “She is going to call when she figures something out. So I decided to come back and…did you say she is with Tony?” James asks as if it suddenly was just told to him.

“Yeah, he wanted to see her when we got back from shopping. Why?”

“Just odd…She always told me she and Tony didn’t get along.”

“Well, I think this Y/N and he are pretty close,” Nat says emphasizing the last two words. After a momentary pause. “Are you sure you even want her back?”

“Of course I do.” James's voice is indignant. Nat raises an eyebrow at him.

“James…look who you’re talking to.” She tosses the towel into the hamper, then begins removing her sweaty work-out clothes. “You really think that I believe you care about her that much?” she steps closer, tossing her top aside. “You are only with her because you thought you knocker her up. You and I both know it.”

“Natasha…” James swallows hard, his eyes tracing her curves.

“If I wasn’t with Bruce...when she lost the baby, you’d be here.” She runs her hands down her sides. “And not with her.”

“That is the past…”

“But is it?” She steps closer, her hands sliding over his chest. “James, you know since Bruce…we haven’t…” Her voice is breathy. “It’s been so long…” her lips kissing up the side of his neck before catching his lobe between her ear, nibbling softly. “Snow would never know. She’s not here.” Her whisper hot and breathy. “I bet she is doing the same thing right now…with Steve.” The last words breaking James from her spell.

“What?!?”

“Oh, I suppose you didn’t know, being you left after she got here.” Natasha smiles slyly. “She is still head over heels for your best bud. Who in that world, is still alive.” She drops on to the bench removing her shoes slowly, buying herself time to drive in the knife. “We went shopping today, and the other one told me all about it. She is the big love of Steve’s life. She is fully devoted to him.”

James’s eyes look away, trying to hide the hurt he is feeling, but Natasha continues. “You want to know the most interesting part? In her world…you and I…we’re together.” She stands again walking over to him slowly. “I think that is some sort of sign, we have something in two universes, just like she and Steve did.”

“Don’t…”

“What? Don’t remind you…she cheated on him with you. That you caused them to break up, that you knocked her up.” Natasha’s tone starting out as harsh, but softens quickly. “She’s only with you, now because hes gone, but if Steve wasn’t gone.... Do you want to stay with someone who sees you as a replacement?”

James looks up at Natasha, the pain evident in his eyes as he looks into hers. She understands him, she gets him. It is one of the things they have in common. It is what drew them together. The pain is hidden behind their craft, that pain bonded them. Snow did not have this, she was pure, even though all the training from the red room, she kept that purity, they didn’t break her. She belonged to Steve; he knows that deep down. The bond he saw between the two of you, it was undeniable. It wasn’t until he destroyed that in a drunken night of intimacy that he saw the emptiness he felt all his life inside of you. You need someone more like Steve, not him.

James looks up at Natasha, sometime while his mind was clouded with these thoughts, she has stripped off her training clothes and stood before him in nothing but her panties. “Natasha…what are you asking of me?” His voice thick with want. Wanting to feel something besides the loneliness and guilt that he has pushed on to you.

“You know what I want James.” She sways closer, her pelvis pushing into his. Her hands sliding up his chest, up and around his neck. She pulls him into her capturing his lips with hers.


	11. Bliss

You wake up the next morning, your head rising and falling slowly. You stretch a bit and feel shifting under you, and arms wrapping tighter around you. You crane your head up seeing Thor’s still asleep. You climb up a bit gently placing your lips against his. He wakes suddenly, jarring you a bit. He quickly wraps his arms around you and deepens the kiss.

After a few moments, you break the kiss. “Good morning…” you whisper.

“Good morning beautiful.” Thor shifts a bit so he can see you better. “How’d you sleep?”

“Like a baby, the best sleep I’ve had in a long time.” You smile at him. “I missed you.” Thor’s eyebrow raises in question.

“In my world we were lovers.”

“Were?”

“You…you were the one to wear the gauntlet.”

“Me?” his voice rising a bit. “I…I wanted to, but they decided that Bruce would be better suited.” He stops talking, realizing they were right. “I died…they were right. I wasn't strong enough.” 

“Baby no…you are a god. It’s just the type of power. Bruce was right about that.” You soothe him. “Any other thing and you would have been the one to choose. The team, they would always turn to you for leadership, you were the face of the avengers in my world, next to Tony, you were the leader.”

“Me? Not Steve?”

“Steve. Why…” you stop yourself remembering the role reversal. Steve always did have a leadership quality about him. He just didn’t have the trust of the team, because of his past. “Oh…no in my reality he is well he’s your James. I mean Bucky.”

“And I am…dead there? Is Asgard?”

“You saved it from Thanos…yes.”

“Ragnarök never happened?”

“Ragnarök?”

“I never spoke of…” Thor smiles. “Of course if it didn’t happen.”

“You only spoke of the beauty of your world and your parents.”

“They’re alive?”

“Yeah…why wouldn’t they be?”

“Here, they are both dead, my kingdom destroyed, my people are rebuilding.”

“Oh…” you consider everything he has been through. It would explain the new look.

“Is that who you want? A King…a leader?” He sits up now, moving you aside so he can dress. “I’m neither of those. I am a shell of the man you talk of. I have lost all that made me great.”

Your heart breaks for him. You see it now, the insecurity and doubt that replaces the confidence you know so well. The hint of dark circles under the eyes that used to sparkle bright with promise. The slumped shoulders that used to be proud and tall. The man before you is still the man you knew, but he is not the man you watched die. He is a ghost of that man. You watch him as his eyes study you for a moment before he walks from you, reaching for his jacket.

So much is different, some things here you like, some things you don’t. But having Thor standing before you, the man you were in love with. The man who broke your heart to reunite with Jane. You decide right there and then that you are going to help this man. When the time comes, you will ask him to come back with you. Your world needs him, and from the way he looks, he needs a new sense of purpose.

“Baby, you are what I need. You make me feel whole again. You are the only person in this world that I can relate to.”

“What about Steve?”

“What about Steve?” you ask.

“You…well our version of you is in love with him,” Thor says walking back over to you, sitting next to you. “There are wagers as to when he will propose.” Your eyes going wide. Steve is going to propose, to other you.

“Really??”

“Yes, the other you, she is his world. He even mentioned leaving the Avengers a few times to make a life with her.”

“Huh…and you think she’d want that?”

“Wouldn’t you?” Thor seems confused that you even ask.

“No…I am not cut out for that kind of life.” You smile, thinking of how funny it would be for you to have a white picket fence and little ones hanging on your legs. “I am too...” your thoughts searching for the right words.

“You have a warrior’s spirit.” Thor finishes for you.

“Yes, that is a great way to put it.” You smile at him. “I mean maybe, someday I’ll settle, but not now. I have too much life to live yet.”

“My father was always trying to convince me to find a young maiden. He would tell me he wasn’t going to live forever, and I needed to consider heirs, the future of Asgard was counting on me.” He chuckles softly. “He’s probably cursing my lack of a queen from Valhalla as we speak.”

“Thor…” You are about to tell him your plan when you hear a knock at the door. “Hold that thought.” You smile kissing him quickly before bouncing off to the door, wearing Thor’s t-shirt. Opening the door you find Steve on the other side.

“Thor…I need to…” His eyes catching movement over your shoulder and see a shirtless Thor sitting on his bed, the sheet crumpled. 

“Steve. Hey…”

“I’m sorry, I’ll come back later.”

“NO! Steve…wait!!”

Steve continues walking, ignoring you. You run after him, catching him at the elevator. “Steve. I’m sorry!”

“You have nothing to apologize for. You are not my girl. You are free to do whatever you want.”

“Steve…are you...were you going got ask the other me to marry you?” You see his shoulders tense. He takes in a deep breath, turning to face you.

“Yes, I was. But she’s gone now, isn’t she?!” Steve’s anger boiling just under the surface. “And now I have you! You, who wants everyone here but me!” He stops as if someone slapped him. The words coming from his mouth are coming from a place of pure anger. He looks at you, seeing the tears filling your eyes.

“Steve, I’m not her. I can’t be her. I am nothing like her, from what I am learning.”

“I know.” His voice is soft filled with hurt.

“I wish I could be, she seems like a really good person.”

“She is…she’s my angel.” A smile creeping across his face.

“We’ll get her back.” You try to reassure him, although you have no idea how.

“Actually, I was going to talk to you about that, Bucky has an idea.”


	12. Awkward Breakfast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the extremely short chapter...been a bit undermotivated to write anything lately. Mostly been a bit under the weather.
> 
> I promise (no pun intended) to write more soon once I get over this. Until then the chapters will be sporadic and possibly shorter. But I will continue to update the story.

You wake up late. The television is still on, the movie you were watching with Tony now over. You hear and feel breathing. You quickly move to find an arm wrapped around your waist holding you in place. You crane your head seeing the arm is attached to Tony. You fell asleep watching movies with him. The situation reminding you of all the times you had done this same thing with Steve. Long before you entered your relationship with him, the two of you would fall asleep on the sofa together. The two of you always watching movies together, helping him with pop culture and the changes over the last 60 years.

“Tony…” you say softly, wanting to wake him, but not startle him. When your voice alone doesn’t’ work, you speak a bit louder, “Tony.” He mumbles something incoherent, his arm griping you tighter. You sigh tapping his arm making your voice just shy of a shout. “Tony!”

“What? Didn’t do it…” He suddenly spurts out jolting the two of you. You almost fall off the sofa. You chuckle at the surprised expression on his face. “What?” his face quickly changing to one of a hurt ego.

“Nothing…I just wanted to go and you…well your arm was…." You blush. This whole situation is a bit too familiar but awkward for you, especially with Tony. It is even more so with a Tony you don’t really know. “I’m hungry…breakfast?” you try changing the subject.

“Usually the staff isn’t here until…” Tony looks down at his watch. “Shit! They must be gone already.”

“Staff?”

“I have a cook who comes in to make meals.” Tony says swiping his hand over his face. “But if someone is not there to give them a menu, they just assume…well, they leave.”

“Oh…” You feel hurt, but only for a moment. “I was the one who made breakfast for everyone. I have since I joined the team.” You smile. “I don’t mind.” You add getting up.

“Beautiful, kind, and cooks?” Tony smiles. “I may never let you go.”

“Tony, you better…” You start a tiny bit of apprehension in your voice.

“Just kidding. But your Steve wasn’t wrong, calling you an Angel. You are heaven-sent in my eyes.”

“Well thanks, Tony. Any breakfast requests?”

“Whatever you can make is fine, the kitchen is fully stocked.”

“OK, I’ll get right on it.” You smile, heading off the kitchen.

*****************************************************

James wakes, seeing Natasha curled up next to him. His head dropping back to the bed. ‘What the hell are you doing?’ He thinks to himself.

He gently moves her off of him, getting out of bed and dressing quickly. He looks over to her one last time before heading to the kitchen for some coffee, and hopefully some sanity. What he walks into is nothing but a reminder of what he is trying to avoid. Entering the common area he sees you making food, the smell of bacon filling the air. You are talking with Bruce, having an animated conversation about something that makes no sense to him, but then most of what Bruce talks about makes no sense to him. He walks over to the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

You look at him. Watching him pour his coffee in silence. “Good morning...”

“Yeah…” He grumbles back, taking his coffee over to the bar sitting down. “You are awfully chipper this morning.” He says in an aside.

“Well…I guess I had a good night.” You reply, simply.

“I bet you did.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You don’t like his tone. He is accusing you of something and you don’t like it.

“Well, spending the night with Tony…” He doesn’t finish. Interrupted by Natasha bouncing into the room. 

“Good morning.” She smiles. Looking around at everyone in the room. You see James look at her then quickly looking down, his face filling with guilt. Your gaze turning back to Natasha. Her eyes lingering on James a bit longer before sitting next to Bruce.

“Morning…” Bruce says softly Natasha kissing him on the cheek. “I missed you last night.”

“I’m sorry I was working and I just slept in my office.”

“That must have been uncomfortable,” James interjects, his tone harsh.

“Not really, it actually felt nice, like old times.” 

You look between Jame and Natasha. You are sure there is something going on there and you feel bad for Bruce. This world is a mess. Everyone sneaking around behind everyone else’s back. You can’t even understand how they all work together so well. With all the secrets and underhandedness that is going on. “Breakfast is ready.” You announce, plating up the last of the pancakes.

“Good I’m starved!” Tony calls out while walking into the room.

“I lost my appetite,” James says, grabbing his coffee, leaving the room. You watch him leave. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Natasha’s smile falter for a moment as she watches him leave as well. You set the food out and everyone starts to dig in. You make yourself a plate as well, eating and thinking about the mess these people keep creating for themselves. After a few moments, deciding you need to try and fix it somehow before you leave.


	13. Wakanda and A Secret

“Do you really think this will work?” Your voice showing your skepticism. 

“I hope so…if not. I am not sure what we have left,” Steve says softly from next to you.

“How is my DNA going to help?” you ask aloud more to yourself than to him.

“Not sure, from what I understand it works like a homing beacon.”

“Are we even sure she has the same DNA as me?”

“We keep samples on file, and also blood. We had it tested. It’s a perfect match.”

“Steve, are you telling me we are the same person?”

“Physically…yes.” The fact he made any attempt at a differentiation strongly reminds you of the fact that in his eyes you will never measure up.

“I’m sorry I’m not her.” You meekly respond.

“I know…” Steve’s voice trailing off, but you can feel the pain he is feeling.

“Steve…about Thor and I…”

“Don’t…it’s none of my business. You are not committed to me or anyone here, I have no right to judge you.”

“Steve…I may not be yours, but I am the embodiment of the girl who is. I should not be…I’m sorry.”

“Are you going to miss him, when you go back home?”

“What?”

“Are you going to miss him? When you go back home?” Steve repeats looking at you for the first time in the conversation.

“If he doesn’t come with me, yes.” You swallow hard, you haven’t even discussed it with Thor yet. You are not sure he will want to. His world is gone here, while you offer him a fresh start, a new one. A better one.

“Y/N…I am not sure that it is a good idea. Thor is gone in your world. Bringing him there could disrupt the flow of history.”

“And me being here…doing what I’ve done.” You look down at your hands. “That hasn’t changed anything here?!?” You look up and see that he can’t say it hasn’t. “Just my being here has changed the perspective of the team. They all see each other differently, knowing the world I came from.”

“Y/N, that is not the same. We are not going to a different world on purpose. We are not disrupting what is.”

“And who determines ‘what is’?” You snip at him. “God? Which God? From which reality?” Steve is unsure how to answer, and his lack of answer emboldens you. “I am doing what I need to make my life better, and his,” You sigh, clearing your emotions and collecting your thoughts. “Steve, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same thing if you could?”

His face changes there is an idea, something he had considered that he is trying to hide. A longing that she also knows all too well, comes over his face and her answers are there. He has thought about it. About changing something, but she dismisses whatever it is, it is not her concern. Her only concern is talking to Thor and getting herself and him back home. As fun as this world is for her. She wants to give Thor the world he deserves. He has fought so hard and done so much, he deserves his lands back, his home.

“Y/N…Steve…” You hear James’ voice from the lab doors. “Suri thinks she has something.”

You look at Steve with pleading eyes. “Please Steve, let me have this. You know how it feels, feeling stuck in a world that doesn’t feel right to you.”

“Only if he agrees,” Steve says softly. There is a hint of something in his voice, telling you he is still unsure. You ignore it, bouncing into the lab to see what Suri has come up with.


	14. Revelations

“Tony, I think I may have a possible solution to our issue,” Bruce says breaking the silence.

“Really?” You can barely contain your excitement. 

Tony shooting you a knowing look before turning his attention to Bruce. Bruce continues, “I believe what happened to Snow and Angel is that they slipped through a hole in the fabric of time while traveling through time-space. This allowed them to cross interdimensional timelines.”

“We already figured this out,” Tony replies, unimpressed. “What we need to do is find a way to pinpoint the exact point…”

“The Randall-Sundrum models.” Bruce says simply. Tony’s brain is already spinning. Bruce is onto something.

“The shift in gravitational mass within the wormhole could direct the suits like a magnet. If we recalibrated the sensors that we use to narrow in on our point of exit.” Bruce continues. 

“Um…can you clear that up for someone who is not a big brain?” Natasha jokes.

“Basically, it’s like this.” You turn to Nat. "Picture a straw. The liquid will go from one end to the other when you suck on it. The force drawing the liquid through. Now picture this same straw with a tiny crack. The pressure of the pull of the straw in less and you have a harder time pulling the liquid through the straw. That’s because the crack is pulling some of the force. Diverting it.”

“And that is how the two of you ended up in the wrong place?”

“Pretty much.”

“So this is like what? A tiny vacuum that sucked you to the other side of the straw?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” You smile at the way she can sum up such a complicated situation in just a few words. You think about how much you are going to miss her. You are going to miss them all. You quickly look down wiping a tear from your face.

“You okay?” You look up seeing Tony leaning into you. His voice low. You force yourself to smile at him.

“Yeah…I just…I’m going to miss you.” You feel a fresh tear falling. Tony pulls you closer to him. His lips brushing your forehead, kissing it softly.

“I’ll miss you too.” He whispers, his lips brushing your forehead again, before pulling away. “So Bruce, looks like we have some work to do,” Tony says standing up from the table. He starts walking to the door, pausing to see if Bruce is following. The two leaving you and Nat alone.

“We need to talk,” Nat says drawing your attention from the door. The expression she has is a cross between a giddy teenager and a scornful mom. The expression making you giggle. She crosses her arms over her chest and you quickly stifle your outburst.

“Ok…Sorry.” You try to sober your expression.

Nat sighs. “When Snow comes back…” She seems to pause for a moment, thinking about how she wants to continue. “I…I don’t want her to come back to James.”

“I know.” You say. “How does James feel about that?”

“We haven’t discussed it.”

“Maybe you should.”

“What if he wants her back?”

“Do you think he does?”

“I know he feels like he should. But I think that he feels like he has to, like he's obligated.”

“Why?”

“Well, it’s a complicated story,” Natasha says reaching for a piece of bacon on her plate. “But in summary, her life started out very similar to yours.” She begins.

“Similar, how?”

“Well, you were both seeing Steve.”

“Wait?!?” Your heart is racing, no one ever told you that Snow was dating Steve. Your mind immediately hoping that nothing is happening with your Steve. The thoughts immediately dismissed. You trust Steve, you trust him to not…

“No one told you?” Her question interrupting your thoughts.

“No,” is all you can manage. Your mind still spinning. This information changing everything for you.

“She and Steve were pretty serious for a while. But after we lost to Thanos…Steve and James fought a lot. Steve felt he was to blame and James was too withdrawn having lost his friends to really do anything. I tried to talk to him, but he closed me out too.”

“My Steve was the same way. We lost everyone after the snap James included. It took me almost a month to get him to open up to me.”

“At least he did.” Her voice is soft, the hurt is evident. “James never did…not to me.”

“But he did to her, to Snow.” 

“Yeah, from what I understand they started by talking about Steve and he just opened up to her.”

“James did the same with me. But before...” You begin. “When he, Steve, and I were ‘exiled’ for lack of a better word.” You smile at Nat. She chuckles, but the laugh is sarcastic, hiding pain. “He seems to have a type.”

“Yeah…I think he does. Here, in my world, you and he were pretty serious, you were engaged.”

“We were?”

“Yeah."

"You and he…well you and Bruce split up after Ultron. I never knew why. You and James sorta became the lone two, since most of us had someone. And well it just blossomed from there.”

“It happened the same way here too, except…” Natasha seems to will you to not push the topic, but you want to know, need to know, if you are going to fix things here.

“Except…” You prompt her to continue.

“Somehow the time Snow and James spent together drew them closer.” She pauses her voice turning softer. “I should have seen what was happening, but I didn’t…”

“Natasha. Sometimes feelings.”

“I’m not talking about feelings.” She snaps then quickly composes herself. “I’m sorry.” She sighs. “One night, I was on a recon mission, something simple, with Steve. James was here at the compound with Snow. He says they were overly emotional, vulnerable, and they needed comfort.”

“They slept together.” You finish for her.

“Yes, and she got pregnant.” Natasha finishes, taking a sip of her juice. “James being the old fashioned man he is, he proposed to her when he found out.”

“She isn’t pregnant now, is she?”

“No, she lost the baby.”

“But James stayed?”

“I think he felt like he had to. Steve was gone again, and not coming back. I think he feels obligated to her.”

“What if she wanted out too?”

“I think she does. She has been having an affair with Tony, before that, Thor.”

“Do you think she might want to be with Tony?” You ask thinking you can fix a lot if she does.

“She seems happy with him. When they are around each other.” 

“Well, I have it on good authority that Tony would like to see more come of their relationship.”

“Really? Cause last night, James said…”

“James said what?” It is now your turn to get angry.

“He thought you and Tony were…” She starts. “He thought you were with Tony last night.”

“Yeah, I was.” You say simply.

Natasha arches a brow in confusion. “But…Steve…”

“We were watching a movie and talking about getting me home.” You finish before she can say more. “I would never do that to Steve.”

“I know…well, I know now.” A quiet settling between the two of you. You finish the last of your juice, then gather your dishes and head to the kitchen area to clean up. Natasha remains quiet. You think about what she said while loading the dishwasher. Deciding you need to talk to Tony, this will be good news, knowing that Snow feels the same way about him, possibly.

“I’m going to see how they are coming with his new theory.” You turn to Natasha. She is putting her own dishes in the washer now. “Want to get in a workout later? I could use the release.” You ask her. She smiles back coyly.

“Sure you got it.”


	15. Determined

Suri’s idea is compelling. The idea that you slipped through a crack in the fabric of reality is like something from a bad sci-fi movie, but then again, you’ve been living the reality of that for some time now.

“Steve. DO you think it will be that simple?”

“I don’t think anything about what Suri said is simple.” He shifts in his seat on the quin-jet his eyes carefully studying his hands. “But she sure makes it sound simple.”

“If she is right, I’ll be home in a week or so…” You feel nervous and scared. You now have a time frame in which to approach Thor and ask him to come with you. “That’s not much time.” You finish the last comment, directed more at yourself then at Steve.

“I would like to say he will go with you, but his world here is in chaos, and Thor doesn’t seem like the type of guy who would leave his world behind in such a state.” 

“But my world needs him too, Loki is ruling Asgard at the moment and from what I have heard it is not going well.”

“That might help your case. Loki is dead here.”

“Really Loki too? He has lost so much.”

“We all have.” Steve reminds you.

“I know, Tony, Natasha.” You think about your Tony. “I am sure Angel really misses Tony.” Steve glances at you, a questioning look in his eyes. You don’t see the side glance, your thoughts focusing on how you are going to convince Thor to come with you.

“She really misses Natasha. She was her best friend here.”

“Really, IN my world Tony and I…” You trail off catching yourself before you say something else to worry Steve.

“You and Tony?” Steve asks incredulously.

“Well…actually it started out as you and I.” You try to sound dismissive, but his rejection of you is still fresh in your mind. “But then after Thanos…”

“Was I snapped away?” Steve asks not sure if he wants the answer.

“No, but you took the destruction hard. It tore us apart. You left the team for a while, and James and I bonded over the loss.” You look over at him. His face a mixture of confusion and hurt.

“I left you alone?” Steve cannot believe it. He would never do that to his girl. 

“Yes, Steve you are not the same guy here that you are in my world.” You sigh. “Being the winter soldier changed you. Or at least that is what James tells me.” You reach out taking his hand in yours. “Here you are warm, affectionate, compassionate, and loyal. My Steve was…he was more reserved. I was the only one he let in. We loved each other truly. He would have died for me. He was fiercely protective and loyal. But there was a part of him that he never let even me see. He kept it hidden, I think he was afraid of it. That is the apart of him I think that made him push James and me away.”

“And that is how you came to be with James?”

“Yes, in a way.”

“What am I missing?”

“I was still with you, or my Steve when I got pregnant.”

“Oh…” Steve does not understand why but he feels betrayed by this information. “James.”

“Yes, when he found out, James insisted on telling you the truth. I was going to tell you the baby was yours. But James insisted on telling you the truth.” 

Steve smiles at this. “James was always the type who wanted to be forthright and face everything head-on. I think that is where I get it from.” He smiles, Bucky has always been a role model for him, even if he doesn’t think he is anymore. “But what about the baby?” He drops his eyes to your stomach. “Are you?”

“No. I lost the baby after we got everyone back. I think that it was something about the change or…I never really found out.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“When I told James I had lost the baby, he withdrew from me. I feel like he blamed me, or maybe he no longer had a need to remain with me. Maybe I reminded him of his betrayal to his one and only friend.” You feel the tears starting to fall. Reliving all these memories, stirring up emotions you never wanted to feel again. You feel arms wrapping around you and you give into them.

“I am so sorry for everything that has happened to you. You deserve so much more.” His voice is soft against your head. You dig deeper into his chest and his arms tighten around you. Your crying turning into ugly sobs. “If things were different…”

“Steve don’t,” you mumble into his chest before pulling back. “Don’t make promises you cannot keep. My life is my own, and you have a life with a better version of me.”

“She is you, she is simply lucky enough to have a better path, less hardship, then you.” Steve feels his heartbreaking. “Stay here. With me, with us. You can do better here, find a better life.” He can feel you freeze in his arms unsure of what he means.

“And do what, watch her live the life I wanted to live?” Your voice is higher, pitchy, and louder. “Steve…I can’t.” You get up walking away from him. Heading to the rear of the jet, waiting for the landing. Steve watches you, helpless to do anything else, knowing anything he would say might upset you more.

“Stevie, you can’t fix everything,” Bucky says to him sitting in the seat you vacated.

“Y/N would want to, I have to try.”


	16. Resentment

“That will not survive the jump. The force will pull her apart if you...we don’t fix this.” Tony says to nothing.

“Sir there are not many materials strong enough…”

“But there are some…were?”

“Wakanda sir and Asgard both have metals that could be both strong and flexible enough to withstand…”

“And?” Tony interrupts the A.I. again.

“Sir…I cannot get the metals without negotiations with Wakanda. And as you know Asgard is gone.”

“Are we not still on good terms with T’Challa?”

“Sir…”

“Never mind.” He scowls dismissive, turning back to his calculations.

“Am I interrupting something?” You say from the door, noticing Bruce is no longer in the room. “Where’s Bruce?”

“He is making some calls,” Tony mutters.

“Tony…” Your voice low, judgmental, and scolding.

“Y/N?” He replies turning back to you.

“Did you snap at Bruce?”

“He was shooting down every idea I had!”

“He might be right.”

“He is being too cautious!”

“Tony, we need to do this right. I don’t want to end up in some dinosaurs mouth.”

“That is the least of our worries.” Tony dismisses motioning your idea away before returning to his board.

“Then what is?” You step in pulling a stool up.

“Being ripped into two different dimensions.”

“Oh yeah, that would be bad. And Bruce is trying to make sure that doesn’t happen?”

“It won’t”

“Well, I feel better knowing that Bruce is trying to make sure I remain in one piece.”

“Pfft!” 

“Tony, I know you want her back. But we can’t just rush into this and get ourselves killed to make that happen.”

“Being careful never gets anyone anywhere.”

“Tony, I don’t want to kill myself to get home. It would sort of defeat the purpose. Don’t you think?”

“Nothing is achieved without taking risks.”

“I won’t achieve anything if I’m dead Tony, and neither will you.” You reach over to him resting your hand on his arm. He stills, then turns to you.

“I need her back.”

“I know.”

“It’s just.” He runs his hands through his hair. “Being around you. It gets harder and harder to be around you. You are so much like her but in some ways…” He trails off, lost in your eyes.

“Tony, I am…” He cuts you off when his lips connect with yours. You give in to the kiss. What was soft and tentative turns needy and passionate. He pushes you against the lab table your arms going around his neck. His hands gabbing you hips lifting you onto the table. He pushes himself in between your legs. Tony breaks the kiss, his lips slowly working their way down your neck. It isn’t until his hands make their way up to your sides that the wrongness of your actions hits you. You quickly push him away.

“Tony… I can’t. This is wrong.” You whisper against his cheek.

Tony sighs, “I know…I just can’t help it.” He pulls away more, smiling at you. “Part of me wants to stop...wants to keep you here.”

“Tony…” You move to get up. Tony moves over in front of you.

“I know. Steve Rogers is always in my way.” Tony studies you for a moment then turns away. “Even dead the man affects those near and dear. First my father, then you.”

“Tony?”

“My father talked about him all the time, he never shut up about him. How great he is, how much he did for our country, how fucking perfect he is.” Tony spits out.

“Tony, you’ve a lot. Look at what you’ve built.” You motion around you. “You are the heart of the avengers.” 

Tony scoffs. “But Steve, he’s the one who gets the recognition, he’s the one who gets the admiration and the girl.”

“Tony…” your heart going out to him. “It’s more than that. You’re more than that.”

“Not in your eyes I’m not.”

“What about Snow?”

“We never would have happened if it weren’t for her getting knocked up by James.”

“Tony, I am not sure that is true.”

“What about you?” 

“What about me?”

“How did you end up with Steve? Why didn’t we ever…or did we?” he arches an eyebrow at you.

“You made some feeble half-assed attempts, but no. Steve and I bonded over questions about modern tech. As we spent time together, we came to care about each other.” You smile remembering how awkward Steve was talking to you, and you being so awestruck by him.

“So I didn’t try hard enough?” Tony smiles moving closer to you again.

“That and your heart was somewhere else I think.” You smile softly, turning your head away. The look of longing and want in his eyes is starting to draw you in, and you can’t let that happen.

“It all ended for the better. You have a wife and daughter; they love you deeply.” You begin fussing with your fingers, Pepper and Morgan have been so secluded since Tony died. You fuss with your fingers a few more seconds. You remember the look in Morgan’s eyes when Pepper had to tell her daughter that her father wasn’t coming home.

“I do?”

“Yes, you began dating her shortly after Steve and I. You got engaged to her shortly before Thanos attacked.” 

“A daughter?”

“Yes, her name is Morgan.” 

“Morgan?” Tony tries it on his tongue. “Why Morgan? Do you know?”

“No, Tony and Pepper…you and Pepper. There were a few years when you didn’t really talk to us. The two of you withdrew from the rest of us.”

“Why?”

“Well…you and Steve had a fall out a few years before Thanos. You felt it was better to step away after WE are beaten.”

“The team backed Steve, didn’t they.”

“Honestly, no one really backed anyone. There was not much left of the team. Just you, Steve, Thor, Banner, and Nat.”

“Everyone else?”

“Gone…turned to ash. Except….well, Barton just disappeared, we got word that he wasn’t turned to ash, but we didn’t know where he was.”

“That is close to what happened here. But in our case Steve left, James stayed behind for Snow, I watched her slip away from me again.” 

“Tony…” An idea is forming in your mind. “Maybe there is something better for you. Someone who wants to be with you and loves you.”

Your confidence is building as you speak.

“I’m going to get this right. I am going to get her back.”

“Tony…”

“I am not giving up. You may have, but I am not! I will fix this, and I will get her back.” You watch him begin working again, his anger evident in his gestures. You quietly back out of the room.


	17. Proposition

“Lady Y/N.” Thor smiles large as she walks up to him.

“Thor, you busy?”

“Not particularly.”

“Good I was hoping to talk with you.” You smile when you reach him. 

He puts down the reports he is reading. “Of course.”

You walk over to a loveseat sitting nearby. You take a seat leaving room for Thor to join you. He sits next to you and you turn to face him.

“Suri has some ideas about getting me home, but they are still a few weeks out from functional.”

“So you will be leaving us soon.” He reaches up his fingertips caressing your cheek.

“I might be yes.” You swallow hard before continuing. “And I was hoping you might want to come with me?” You watch for a reaction, any reaction from him. He looks from you to your lap then up to you again.

“Are you sure you want me? I am a broken version of the man you left in your world.” His eyes searching yours, there is hope there but also fear.

“Thor, I want you to come, Asgard, the Asgard in my world needs you.”

“Asgard needs a leader, I am no leader.”

“Yes, you are!”

“Would a leader let their world fall?”

“Thor, you did what you needed to.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know you, and you did what you had to do. Deep down you know that, why can’t you see it?”

“What I can see is that I let my world fall. My people die. People my father entrusted me to protect.”

“You didn’t let anything happen! You told me yourself that this was something your father told you was destined to happen.”

“The only destiny I make is my own.”

“And you can choose to alter your path. Come with me, finish what you wanted to do, bring Asgard into a new world.”

“You think they will accept me?”

“I don’t know why they would not. You are their king.”

“Look at me! I am no king!” 

“Thor…” you move closer to him. “You are the son of Odin. You are king. It is about time you act like it.” He sits back looking at you angrily, then his face softens, and he becomes ashamed. “You’ve been hiding behind everyone else’s defeat. You have been torn between two worlds trying to protect them both, of course, you are not going to do your best.”

“Y/N, I have a duty.”

“Thor, you have a duty to protect your home. That is what everyone here has done.” You turn his face to yours. “They can maintain here; you need to take care of your home now.”

“I need to think about it.” He looks up, your eyes meeting his.

“That is all I can ask.” You lean in kissing him softly. He eagerly returns the kiss.

“That is what I was hoping for.” He jokes, his lips a breath away from yours.

“Then you’ll like this more.” You whisper climbing into his lap recapturing his lips with yours. His hands instinctively going to your waist. pulling you to him. Your arms draping around his neck as he shifts slightly, standing, picking you up with him. You wrap your legs around his waist as his move to your ass. He carries you from the room, down the hall to his bedroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Bucky…I need to do this.”

“Steve, you are being ridiculous.”

“No, I’m not! She can’t just take him with her.” Steve is pacing the floor in front of Bucky. “This is exactly what Strange warned us about.”

“Steve, you should just tell her.”

“Tell her what? That there has to be a balance in the universe. That she may have disrupted it by being here. She blames herself enough already!” Steve’s voice is sharp with anger as it fills the room. “Every time I look at her, I miss Angel. And she knows it, she blames herself.”

“Steve, she knows it’s not her fault.” Bucky watches helplessly as Steve continues pacing. Maybe she is trying to make the best of a bad situation. Bringing Thor there would give him the sense of purpose he lost when Asgard fell.”

“Bucky that’s my point.” Steve spins on his heels facing him. “If she brings him there everything will be different. He is not supposed to be there.”

“She isn’t supposed to be here either, but maybe this is what is supposed to happen. Steve look at us. We aren’t supposed to be here either. I should have died when I fell from that train and you should have when you crashed into the ice. But here we are.”

“Bucky that isn’t the same!”

“Steve,” James stands up now, reaching out, putting a hand in Steve’s shoulder. “What is this really about?”

“Bucky, I told you.”

“No, you told me what you want me to think.” Bucky squeezes his shoulder. “Bu there is more, something else is going on.”

“Bucky…” Steve shrugs off Bucky’s grip, turning away from him.

“Hey punk, I know you too well for you to pull the wool over my eyes.” Bucky smiles when he sees Steve smile and nod slightly. “This is about her, isn’t it?”

“Bucky…”

“Steve, she would never cheat on you, this girl, the one that was forced into our lives is not the same girl that you fell in love with.”

“So everyone keeps telling me.” He mumbles.

“So, why are you so concerned?”

“What if she wants to bring someone back here?”

“Steve, you are dead in her world…” It is now Bucky’s turn to be confused.

“I am... but Tony…”

“Steve, Tony tried and failed. Why are you even worried?”

“Because, I am not there.”

“But Tony found Pepper, that ended any designs he had on your girl.”

“From what Snow said Tony didn’t find anyone in that world, besides her.” Steve’s worry heavy in the air. “Nothing is stopping Tony from coming here, with her.”

“Steve you are being paranoid. Angel would never do that to you.”

“Wouldn’t she? This version of her did?”

“Actually, she is cheating on me, not you. Technically.”

“But she didn’t start with you. The other you.” Steve corrects.

“Really?”

“No, she was with me first.” James looks up at Steve quickly. “In her world, after Thanos died I withdrew, much like Thor did.” 

“Steve…” Bucky can see where this is going.

“You stayed to help her and the team, to comfort her.” Steve continues, ignoring Bucky. “You got her pregnant.”

“What?!? Wait! What?!?” James can’t believe what he is hearing. “She has a baby?”

“No, she lost the baby. That is when she began cheating, on you.”

“Why?”

“To fill the void in her life would be my assumption.” Steve sighs. Deciding to tell him everything. “You were originally seeing Natasha when this happened. When Snow lost the baby you pushed her away.”

“I blamed her for losing the baby?”

“That would be what I can see.”

“No wonder why she is so…”

“Desperate for love.”

“Yes, she has been rejected by everyone she ever cared for.”

“Steve, you have to let her have this one thing, Thor does seem truly taken by her.”

“I know…”

“Damn it, Steve! She is not our Y/N. I know it is strange to see her with him, but you have to remember she is Snow. She is not Angel. Let her find some happiness.”

“Bucky…I love her.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“I have to get her back.”

“We will, Steve. We will.”


	18. Breakthrough

“Holy shit! I got it!” Tony exclaims to no one. He continues staring at his model, not sure what he should do. “F.R.I.D.A.Y, tell Y/N I need to see her.”

“Yes sir.”

Tony paces the floor, its right there in front of him. The way to get her home and get you back. All he has to do is apply it to the suit, that should be easy. Tony stops pacing and studies the design again. Still unable to believe he pieced it together.

“Tony?” he hears you from the door. 

Without turning to look at you he responds. “I got it.”

“Got what?”

“It…” he motions to the display. “I got it.”

“Tony…” You are trying to contain your excitement. Your mind filling with thoughts of what is going to happen when you see Steve again. Tears falling from your eyes, and you choke. “Please don’t…”

“No, Y/N, it’s real. I did it.” He smirks, a proud look on his face. You run to him wrapping your arms around him. He pulls you in and kisses you on the forehead. You pull away, looking at him. He looks down at you, slowly your lips pull together. It is soft, sensual, not needy, or passionate, but loving. Tony turns the two of you pushing you against the board he was working on. You moan into him deepening the kiss. It feels familiar and right. His hands move down your sides pushing your hips into his. His lips breaking from yours, tracing your jawline then finding your ear lobe.

“Tony…what are we doing?”

“What does it feel like?” he mumbles, tugging your lobe between his teeth gently before soothing it with his tongue.

“Tony...” you sigh, coming to your senses. Gently pulling back. “I…I’m sorry. In any other situation.”

“Well… can't say I don’t mind.” He jokes, but you can see the hurt in his eyes. “Tony, I promise we will make this right.” You step back. “You still coming with me?”

“Wouldn’t miss it, sweetheart.” Tony moves back to the board. “F.R.I.D.A.Y, how long until we can apply this to the suits.

“I can have it done this afternoon sir.”

“That quickly?” You blurt in surprise.

“Do it.” Tony orders, turning to you. “You ready for this?”

“I…yes…are you?”

“Baby, I was born ready.”

“Tony you were born cheesy.”

“Well, at least everyone loves cheese.” He grins. “You’d better go say your goodbyes because we are gonna be lighting this up in a few.”

“Thank you, Tony…thank you.” You run to him kissing his fiercely before jaunting off to tell Natasha you are finally going home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You know she is going to come back eventually,” Natasha says softly to James.

“I know.”

“You need to tell her about us.”

“I will.”

“James…” She can tell he is being dismissive. He has no intention of telling her anything. “We are moving on…together...Right?”

“Nat…can we not do this now?”

“Then when?” She sits up. Leaning over the edge of the bed to grab her shirt. “When am I going to not be something more than a fuck? James, I am sick of this…” She stops when she hears a knock on the door. “We are not done discussing this. She quickly finishes dressing as she goes to answer the door.

“WHAT?” she shoots to the person knocking without seeing who it is. You step back.

“Umm…I can come back.” Your excitement dampening when you see Natasha's face. You see movement behind her and see James in her bed. He looks at you and quickly scrambles out of bed pulling the sheet with him and he stumbles into the bathroom. “I’ll come back.” You repeat for sternly.

“NO! Y/N!…Wait!” Natasha calls after you while you are practically running down the hall. You stop spinning on your heels.

“Nat…I am not going to say anything. But you need to.” You say to her.

“I know.”

“I am leaving soon. Tony found a way to get me back.”

“Really.”

“Yes, and that means he will be bringing Snow back.” You continue looking at her. Letting this information roll over her. “You need to get whatever is going on here between you and James figured out or you will lose him. I would start by coming clean with Bruce.”

“But James…”

“James is worried about hurting people. You need to do it for him if you want him.”

“Do you think she will come back?”

“Well, she can’t exactly stay in my world. It would be very awkward with two of us walking around.” You joke, trying to lighten the mood.

“You are not being funny.” Nat chastises you. Her face firm, but you can see a chuckle fighting to break free.

“Well, Great I'm not funny either.” You smile, wagging your eyebrows. This does make Natasha laugh.

“What about Tony?” She asks you.

“What about Tony?”

“You going to let him come back?”

“What do you mean?”

“Come on. We all can see what is going on between the two of you.”

“We are just friends, I am going back to Steve.”

“I know, but Tony…”

“Tony is trying to win over Snow.” You blurt out trying to change the subject.

“WHAT?”

“Yeah, I think he’s fallen in love with her.”

“Does James know?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t think anyone does.” Natasha seems to consider this for a few moments.

“Do you think she feels the same for him?”

I can’t tell you…” You sit on the bench in the hall. “I know that if I hadn’t met Steve…” You can’t even finish the sentence. The thought seems like a betrayal to Steve.

“Sooo, you do feel something.” Natasha's voice raising high, like a schoolgirl.

“Natasha…You need to talk to James. When Snow comes back, she needs to see the two of you together, if she is going to be able to move on.” You change the subject. “I need to go get ready; Tony wants me to get fitted for the new suits before this afternoon." You get up and leave her standing in the hallway.


	19. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This just came out, I am as surprised by the turn of events in this as you are. But the characters are just running amok and taking me along for the ride. So sit back and enjoy it. (This chapter also is making me change this whole story to mature. although it should be explicit...(hehehe)

You storm into the room that was once yours. You pace around furiously. She has no right to pry into your life. She has her own mess to deal with. You feel vindicated for a moment, if not self-righteous. You drop into the sofa, thinking about the trip ahead of you. You were not really anxious about getting home, more excited. But nervous energy is definitely filing you. Are you nervous about Tony’s plan? You consider this for a moment. No, that is not the issue. You huff, getting up to pack up the few things you had gathered in your time here.

Your mind begins going over your time here. You think about having Natasha around, missing the interactions you have with her. You think about James. Despite him looking at you like you are a ghost you are happy to see him happy? Content? No…complete. That is the word. He looks complete, that is the right word. James belongs with Natasha.

Then your mind spins onto Tony. You feel your heart flutter and ache at the same time. The reaction catching you off guard. You think of what Natasha said to you. “Sooo, you do feel something.” Do you? You try to tell yourself, no, but your heart says otherwise. You care for him. Of course you do, he is your friend. You have been through hell together. You smile, yes that is it. You dismiss your thoughts focusing on getting ready for the mission. As you gather your duffle together you open the nightstand drawer and find a small box. Your furrow your brows, you do not remember it. You pick it up thinking it might be something of Snows, but then remember that the room was cleared of her stuff long ago when she moved into James quarters. You open the lid to see a medallion about the size of a half-dollar. The medallion is attached to a long silver chain. You pick it up. It is oddly familiar. You turn it over in your hands examining it. The front has a heart with two doves on each side of it. Across the heart, there is a thorny vine twisted in a Celtic knot. You turn it over and on the back is an inscription. “What a plot twist you were.”

You smile thinking about the first day you arrived. You jumped into Tony’s arms wrapping your legs around him. You were so excited to see him alive. You remember the expression on his face and how his arms slowly enveloped you. You remember how he held you as you begin to sob uncontrollably. Your tears both in joy and from seeing friends you thought you had lost, and for the ones who were gone, flowing down your face.

You smile knowing that you have changed a lot. Not just in the lives of those who you touched here, but in Tony and Bruce’s understanding of the universe. You quickly put the necklace on. It hangs just above the rim of the tank top you are wearing. You take one last look around the room, checking to make sure you have everything.

You grab the bag and turn to head out when there is a knock on the door. You assume it is probably Natasha coming to push you on the perceived feelings she thinks you have for Tony. You quickly move to the door, you hand tapping onto your hip. You open the door to see Tony standing on the other side. He smiles looking you over briefly, his eyes stopping on the medallion on your chest. You subconsciously raise your hand to it.

“I see you found it.”

“I…thank you, Tony. It’s beautiful.”

“It’s made from Adamantium.” Your eyes locking with his.

“Tony…” you look back at the necklace with new admiration.

“Don’t…” He whispers. Stepping in closer to you, he gently places his hand under your chin tiling your face up to his. “I know when we get to the other place things will be different. I just wanted to give you something to remind you that I am here.” He leans in kissing you softly. You wrap your arms around him kissing him back. You know this is goodbye, and that soon he will be leaving you behind in your home.

Tony’s arms wrap around your waist pulling you in closer, deepening the kiss. You moan in response. He lifts you to him, your feet leaving the ground. You move your hands up into his hair as you surrender into him. Then you feel the bed hitting the back of your legs as you are gently let down onto it. Your eyes finding his as he moves over you. He leans in kissing you again, deeper this time, more passion-filled. His hand slowly begins moving to your side caressing your side over the thin fabric of your cami. Your hands move over his back feeling the tenseness of his muscles as you work down to his waist.

His hand gently works its way under the fabric of your top. The skin to skin contact sending electricity through you. You moan louder as his hand moves up massaging your breast. You instinctually move your hands down further pushing his hips into yours, needing the friction. Tony breaks the kiss, moving his soft wet lips down your neck.

“Tony…” you whimper out for him, wanting to tell him you need more, but then wanting to tell him to stop too. His hand moving slowly down across your stomach, then lower, as his lips recapture yours again. His fingers slowly finding their way inside your undergarments. And slowly massaging you in just the right way. You are moaning softly and needy. You begin to quickly move around the front of him, unbuckling his pants needing him now. Tony breaks the kiss and looks at you questioningly, your eyes meeting his. You cannot hide the need in them and see the same in his. “Please…” you whisper softly.

Tony nods silently, gently beginning removing your bottoms as you resume working on his. You feel his hands sliding over your skin as your garments slide with them. Your eyes locking with his as you kick off the garments the remaining way. You are now naked under him. You can feel his erection against your stomach. You slowly move further up the bed and he follows. When your head hits the pillows you fall back. His lips immediately finding yours as he runs his hands up under your top sliding it up slowly. You raise your arms letting him pushing it up over your head. Once the garment is gone you quickly move to do the same to his tee. Once all the separating garments are gone, you run your hands over Tony’s chest then to his back pulling him into you.

“God you are more beautiful then I imagined.” He whispers against your ear.

“Tony…please.” Your soft pleas causing him to growl a bit. He begins kissing you again more fervently. You are lost in the emotion of his powerful lips against yours when you feel him lining up to your entrance. He breaks the kiss, his eye capturing yours. You see him pause for a brief moment before continuing.

You cry out as he enters you. The burn of the stretch surprising, but pleasant. Your eyes locking with his as he begins to move in and out of you slowly. You pull him to you, kissing him deeply as you begin to meet his thrusts with your own. After a moment, his lips move to your neck as his pace increases. You cannot help but moan and cry out in pleasure as he brings you quickly to your first climax. “Tony…Oh…GOD!” Your body spasming as the orgasm sneaks up on you and explodes. Tony showing no sign of slowing, slightly shifts and starts thrusting into you harder.

“Christ you feel so good…better than…” He lets the words die as he finds the perfect spot inside you. Your moan and cries reaching new highs as he works your body.

“Tony…god I’m…” You feel your body thrumming with stimulation as if every inch of your body was alive for the first time. “OH…fuck….” you lose control as your body begins acting on it our volition. Your hands grabbing onto him. Your legs wrapping around his waist trying to encourage more…more of him, more movement, more anything, just more. The new position giving Tony the ability to go deeper. The new depth causing you to scream out as the release you have been looking for is ripped from you.

“Shit…” Tony cries out as you squeeze around him tightly. “You keep that up and…God…you are soo…” He pulls up, running his hands up under you, grabbing your hips as he moves back to rest on his knees, his ass against his calves. The new position has you reeling in pleasure. You turn feral as the pleasure he is giving you drives all sense from your mind. Tony’s thrusts are just forceful and rough. He is now simply taking what he wants from your body and you are loving it.

“Shit…baby…. fuck you are so fucking tight….” His voice is wrecked as his thrust begins losing the rhythm he has maintained. “I’m going to…fuck…” He thrusts into you hard a few more times, before with one last hard and deep thrust he freezes, buried deep inside you.

“GOD…. TONY!” you cry out as you feel his release filling you. He collapses next to you completely spent.

“That was amazing.” He says to the ceiling, then turns to you. “You are amazing, you know that?” He says to you softly, kissing your cheek.

“Tony…I…” You suddenly are hit with what you have just done. “I need to go shower.” You blurt out quickly getting up to shower.

“Y/N…” the hurt in his voice obvious, but you ignore it. You cannot face what you have just done. You cheated on Steve. You are becoming just like Snow. What is wrong with you? You keep yourself from breaking into tears until you reach the bathroom closing the door behind you with a soft click. Then you let the tears fall.


	20. Arrival

You wake slowly, pleasantly spent from your night with Thor. You turn over to say good morning to find an empty bed. You reach out and the bed is cool to the touch. He has been gone hours now. You get up going to the shower, the ache of your muscles slowing your movements. When you get inside, the hot water relaxing away from your aches and wakes you fully. Your mind fog lifting, your mind remembering that Suri had some leads she was going to share with eh group today. You quickly dress and head to the kitchen for coffee and a pastry before you search out Thor.

When you reach the kitchen you stop just inside the entry, finding Steve there. He is leaning against the counter drinking a bottle of water. He must have just gotten back from a run. You take a deep breath and step inside. “Morning, Steve.”

He looks up at you. “Morning.” He shifts on his feet. Ever since the two of you kissed the second time, he has been avoiding you, or so you believe.

“Good morning.” You smile, trying to hide your apprehension. “Suri believes she has an answer for getting me back today.”

“I heard.” He takes another drink of water.

“She’s holding a vid conference in a few hours if you want in,” you inform him looking at your watch.

“Good, I hope she comes up with some answers.” His voice is curt and distant.

“Steve, can we talk?”

“About what?” Yes, he is definitely angry about something.

“Are you ok that I am leaving?”

“You’re not going anywhere yet. Suri has theories, nothing concrete.” He sighs running his hands over his face and through his hair. “If she has a solid lead it could take months for her to make the theory reality.” He pushes off from the counter. “I don’t…I’m not sure how I feel about you leaving. You are a part of her but yet you are so different.” He steps closer to you. “I know you aren’t her, but...” He stops a few feet from you. “Part of me wants to push you away because you are not her. But part of me wants to not let you go because you are the closest thing, I have to her.”

You are suddenly aware of how close he is to you. You reach a hand up, running your fingers over his chest, his polycotton shirt smooth and cool despite his warmth. You feel yourself being pulled into him like there is a string wrapped around you, pulling you from the middle of Steve’s chest. Looking up you see his eyes focused on your fingers as they trace his chest. He looks back up, his eyes meeting yours. Your hand slowly moves up his chest to rest on his shoulder. The other resting over his heart. His eyes flicker down to your lips then up again to your eyes. You feel yourself leaning in closer, he tips his head slightly down to you. Suddenly, F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupts you.

“Captain Rogers, there is a disruption in the basement labs.” Steve exhales sharply. You realize he was holding his breath. You pull away, turning to the door to go the labs. You stop in your tracks when you see Thor standing in the doorway. Steve seems to see him too, ducking his head and clearing his throat.

“I’m going to go see what is going on,” Steve says to you then turns to leave the room. He stops next to Thor, looking up at him in an aside. “Thor.”

“Captain.” He responds, Thor’s gaze not leaving yours. You watch Steve leave and feel the tension in the room rise. Thor walks past you. walking over to the pastries he lifts the lid on the case, grabbing one. You watch him in silence. He takes a bite of the pastry before grabbing a napkin to set it down on. He continues in silence as he grabs a glass of milk. Only after he takes a drink of the milk does he say something.

“Do you still want me to go back with you?”

“Do you still want to?” You really want to ask. "Are you mad I almost kissed Steve?

“I think I can make a difference. I can use my experience to prevent what happened to my world from happening again.”

“I think that is a great idea.” You are happy he seems to be able to overlook what he saw, if he even saw it at all.

“Is the Captain coming too?” _Shit...he saw._

“No. We…I was telling him we were close to finding a way to leave.”

“Is that all?”

“What else would there be?” You feign innocence.

“Y/N, I am not naïve. I saw you and him. The two of you were very close as if you are lovers.”

“No…no. He misses her and I remind him of her, but that is all.” Thor nods taking another bite of his treat. He chews slowly. He seems to consider this information as he chews. He takes another drink of his milk before speaking again.

“I understand. It must be hard for him to see a constant reminder of what he has lost.” You know that he can understand that, he has lost so much. Seeing his mother when he retrieved the stones must have been like a slap in the face for him.

“Suri believes she has a workable theory.”

“Bruce told me as much, I was looking for you. We discussed his theory this morning, and I believe her ideas are valid.”

“You talked to her already?”

“No, but Bruce has been working closely with her. He shared what their collaboration has created. I believe she is ready to construct a device to execute her plan.”

“Really?” You feel excited, but for some reason a bit sad. You begin to realize that you might miss the people here. They are so different than the ones you left behind. Even if they are the same people, they seem different, more optimistic.

“Why else would I leave you to awaken in an empty bed?” He seems confused that you would think he would even leave you to wake alone. Your heart swells from the love he is showing you.

“I was not sure where you went.” You admit.

Thor lowers his head, his face moving aside yours. His lips caressing your ear as he whispers. “I will always be by your side.” You turn to him and his lips capture yours. You immediately respond kissing him deeply. You can taste the sweetness of sugars filling his kiss. You feel his arms wrapping around your waist pulling you flush to him. He breaks the kiss, his eyes studying yours. “You are now my future.”

“Thor…” You want to tell him how happy you are that he is coming when you are interrupted.

“Thor, you are needed in the lower labs. Captain Rogers needs assistance.” Your face goes pale. Thor responding within seconds, moving to the lower floors, you scurry behind him, not sure what is happening.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. can you tell us the nature of the issue?” Thor asks the A.I.

“Y/N has returned…with Mr. Stark.” You exchange a look with Thor.

“Well, this is going to be fun.” You say to the air.


	21. Unwelcome Greeting

When you step out of the shower he is there, sitting at the end of your bed. He is wearing nothing but a sheet. “I was about to join you.” Tony jokes.

“Tony.” You want to tell him to leave, but your heart goes out to him. If it was a different life. If you weren’t in love with Steve. “We need to get ready to leave.” You begin walking past him to gather your clothes from the on top of the dresser on the other side of the room. As you walk by he reaches out for you.

“Y/N…I care about you.” You stop, turning to him.

“Tony…I am going back to Steve.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you pushing this.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t feel something.”

“I…” You sigh sitting on the bed next to him. “Even if I did, I am going home, to Steve.”

“I know.” His eyes searching yours. He leans in kissing you softly. You respond without thought returning the kiss. His hand sliding up to your face cupping it gently. After a brief moment, you break the kiss.

“Go take a shower. You stink.” You smile back at him as he mocks being offended, giving you a sweet peck on the forehead before gathering his clothes and heading to the shower. You quickly dress while he is showering, gather your things heading down the labs.

You pace impatiently as Bruce prepares the machine. You keep testing the suit. Unlike the rest of the team, you have never gotten used to wearing one of these white and red suits. It seems more flexible then you remember it to be. It is lighter too, you can barely feel the weight of it, it feels foreign. Your movements no longer having to be over-exaggerated.

“I think we are ready,” Bruce says from your left.

“Did you test it at all?”

“How do you test something like this?” Bruce asks.

“Fair point.” You smile. Turning to him before looking at the platform next to him. “I guess if it works, you’ll know it works.”

“I’m sorry I can’t be more reassuring.”

“It’s okay Bruce.” You look back at him your smile slightly forced. You are not afraid of not getting to your destination, but fear that Tony and the other you might not be able to return. Tony will need to replicate the work here in your world. This means more time spent with you in your world, time she will be in your world at the same time you are. This situation there will be problematic at best.

“Do you think this will sustain a return trip?” You asking hoping he is more confident than he seems.

“I believe if we just reverse the polarity…” Bruce trails off, his head dropping, his eyes examining the floor. “You are worried about Tony.”

“Yes…I need to know he will be able to get back.”

“You want to make sure he will come back.” He corrects you.

“Bruce, I just…”

“It’s ok, I get it. Tony can be…single-minded.”

“I just can’t have him interfering in my life when I get home.”

“Well, Tony is not exactly one to lay low.”

“I know. I just want him to…Tony is a great guy and I missed him deeply. Before I came here…”

“Good! It’s good to be missed.” You hear Tony calling out to you as he saunters across the room. He has changed, looking more like Tony the executive, then Tony the man who just fucked you senseless a few hours ago. He strides right up to you kissing you briefly on the lips. “Let’s do this.” He says to you then Bruce, clapping his hands together rubbing them profusely.

“Tony, you need to get into your suit,” Bruce says. Tony waves him off. Tapping on the bracelet for the suit. The suit quickly forms around him. You step onto the platform, Tony following closely behind you.

You turn to Bruce. You feel sad about leaving him. You know he is going to be heartbroken by Natasha. You were there when it happened before. You saw it happen when Bucky and Natasha began to be friends. Then they began spending more and more time together. Eventually, Natasha broke it off with Bruce choosing to be with Bucky. ‘Similar life experience.’

“Ok standstill…ready in 3-2-…” You don’t hear Bruce say one. Suddenly you are weightless soaring, no... being sucked into a vortex of rainbows. You realize Tony has his hand in yours your grip tighter. Before you know it you are on the other end. You are standing in a lab, not unlike the one you just left. But this one is different; the air is different. You can tell the lab hasn’t been used in some time. No one is around.

“Tony…” You can feel the excitement rising inside you, tingling like the feeling of pop rocks melting in your mouth. Not electric, but just as exciting. You turn to him, throwing your arms around him. The joy you’re feeling overwhelming your senses. Tony’s arms instantly wrapping around your waist. "Tony, we made it!" You exclaim jumping up onto him. Your legs wrapping around his waist. When your eyes meet his, you kiss him fiercely. He got you home. This man got you home.

“Y/N…” You freeze. Your lips are less than an inch from Tony’s. You suddenly become acutely aware of your legs around Tony’s waist. Tony slowly lowers you to the ground his eyes never leaving yours. You can feel your throat constricting. You slowly turn to see Steve standing in the doorway. He looks tired and disheveled. You can tell he has recently finished a run. Your heart clenching at how you can see this so easily, at how well you know him.

“Steve.” You want to run to him, but are unsure if you should. He saw you kissing Tony.

“How long?” his voice is tightly strained.

“We just got here.” You answer, knowing this isn’t what he is asking.

“Y/N…don't…” His fists clenching tightly. He drops his head, shaking it as if trying to clear his mind. “How long have you been involved with Tony?”

“Steve…I…” You try to finda way to reason your way out.

Steve holds a hand up, his head finally looking up, his eyes meeting yours. You can see the anger stirring in his face, the tear pooling in his eyes. “Don’t…I don’t want an explanation. I just want to know when.”

“Today.” Tony interjects, speaking for the first time.

Steve’s glare snapping to Tony. “Why are you even here?” He practically growls.

“Steve…please…Can we…” You change your direction when you see Steve’s jaw clenching. “I missed you.” 

Steve scoffs. “Yeah, it looks like it.”

“I am here to get Snow.”

“I am sure you are.” Steve grinds out.

“Steve…” You step down from the platform. Slowly stepping over to Steve. His eyes flicking to you, then back to Tony. “I wasn’t sure I was going to ever make it back. I missed you so much.” You feel tears falling down your cheeks. You get a foot away before he speaks.

“Did you sleep with him?” You freeze. You look over your shoulder at Tony. You want to lie and tell Steve no, but you know that he will see the lie on your face.

“Steve…I…can't we talk about this alone?”

“Fine…: Steve refusing to look at you. Instead, keeping a steady glare on Tony. "Snow is in the kitchen. I’m sure you can find it. It is your building after all.” Steve’s venom dripping in his tone. You look back to see Tony has moved down from the platform and is standing behind you.

“Sure,” Tony says calmly then turns to you. “I'll see you later?” You nod hitting the button extracting the suit. You hand Tony the bracelet from your left wrist. His eyes dropping, not to the bracelet but to the medallion around your neck.

Steve’s eyes following Tony’s. You hand instinctually going to the chain. Tony smiles at you. “I almost thought you’d leave that in your room after your shower this morning.” Your eye going wide. You look up to Steve. His eyes meeting yours. Steve steps closer to you, his hand gently picking up the medallion studying it.

“What is this?” Steve asks even though it is obvious that he already knows.

“A gift.” Is all you say, unsure of what else to say. You are scared of Steve for the first time in your life. His anger is rolling off of him in waves. You almost want to cringe away from him. His stance is territorial, his eyes not quite crazy, but definitely feral.

“I gave it to her this morning before we came here.” Tony adds as he puts the bracelet into his pocket. You quickly glance at Tony, then back to Steve. Steve’s eyes narrowing at you. You can tell he is piecing things together.

“Before or after her shower?” Steve asks his eye not leaving yours.

“Steve…” You feel fresh tears falling.

“I left it in the drawer of her nightstand.” Tony answers. “She had it on before…” Tony doesn’t finish before Steve’s fist meets Tony’s face.

“STEVE!” You cry out as Tony’s hands go to his nose, blood flowing freely from between his fingers. You throw yourself in between the two. “Steve…I am here now. Let’s just move past this.” You plead with him. Steve tries to move past you, pushing you to the side, blinded by rage. Tony seems to have recovered from the blow to his face. His hands gently moving in front of you gently guiding you behind him. The motion pissing Steve off even more.

“You son-of-a-bitch!” Steve attempts to attack again. Steve doesn’t see Tony activate his suit. The repulsor sends Steve flying across the room. You see him hit the floor by the door. You cringe from behind Tony as Steve starts to get up off the floor. You catch movement out of the corner of your eye. You see Bucky entering the doorway. He looks over at Steve and then his eyes lock in on Tony. Finally, his gaze finds you.

“Welcome home Y/N” Bucky quirks. Moving into the room silently, Bucky quickly moves to restrain Steve. Steve glares at him as he half smirks. “Stevie, take your girl to your room. This is no way to welcome her home. I’ll help Tony get situated

“Bucky…”

“Steve.” Bucky’s voice is firm. You try to process this. Bucky is usually so shy and quiet, what changed? “I will handle this.”

“Steve…please. It’s been such a long time since we’ve had time to ourselves, and I’m tired.” You begin walking closer to him, waiting to see if he will respond. He simply continues staring ahead at Tony. You glance at Bucky for help. Bucky’s face remains stoic. You look back at steve trying a different approach. “Steve, I think we should talk about what has happened these last few weeks. Please.” You reach for him gently resting your hand on his arm. Your touch making him finally look at you. You can see his eyes soften, probably because of your tear swollen eyes. “Steve…I love you.” His body language visible changes, becoming more at ease.

“Fine.” He turns. His hand grabbing your wrist, pulling you to the door.


	22. Secrets and Deception

Steve’s grip on your wrist is tight, and his pace is fast. You are struggling to keep up with his long strides. The elevator opens before you get to it, and Thor steps out. You begin to smile brightly only for that smile to disappear when she steps out behind him.

“Thor…Bucky is in R&D lab 8 with Tony.” Steve's voice dangerously low, deep, and full of anger.

“Tony?” Your mirror image looks at you. There is an undeniable question written across her face. You don’t know what has been happening here, but you can tell there is something going on between her and Thor. It seems so strange, seeing yourself so close to Thor. You expected her to look different somehow. Maybe she would be thinner or fatter, more muscular, or something. The only difference you can see is her hair is shorter, but not by much, and she wore more makeup than you.

“I’m sure he’ll live,” Steve growls. Then steps into the elevators pulling you with him. You stand next to him in silence, watching the doors closing. You begin to panic feeling as if the closing doors were closing on your chest. Your breathing becoming shallow, like you are fighting for breath. You wonder if you are going to see Tony before he goes back to his world. Your hand subconsciously reaching out, wrapping itself around the medallion Tony gave you. You immediately calm.

“Does he really mean that much to you?” Steve asks from next to you. His evenly toned voice almost as frightening as his angry voice he used earlier when talking to Tony and Thor.

“Steve, I…” You are instantly cut off.

“Just answer my question...” He doesn’t even spare you a glance. His gaze staying fixed on the elevator doors.

“I care about him, yes,” I answer. I have never lied to Steve and I am not about to now. I wait to see if he will say anything. The only reaction you notice is his sideways glance, and the heave of his breath exhaling from his chest. You take this as a chance to continue. “But I love you, Steve.” You turn to face him, a tear trailing down your cheek.

“Do you? It sure didn’t look like it when I walked into the room?” The door dings and he steps out, not looking to see if you are following. You quickly step into the hall.

“Do you think I would come back here if I wanted to be with him?” Your voice rolling down the hall after him. He stops. You slowly walk up to him. Staying behind him, you keep talking to his back. You carefully put your hand on his shoulder blade, barely touching him. “I’m here Steve. Right where I want…I need to be.”

He turns to you. I can see he is fighting back tears. “I kissed her.” He blurts out suddenly.

You freeze. Your hand hovering in the air. You already know who he is talking about, but you still ask. “Who?”

“Her…we call her Snow.” His voice low, shame lining its simple tone.

“Steve, I understand.” You want to tell him what happened with you and Tony. Bur seeing how guilty he feels about just kissing someone else; it has you scared. If he knew, if he were to find out everything that happened between you and Tony it would kill him and your relationship.

He sighs deeply, his arms wrapping around you. “I was so scared to lose you. Then after you came back, after I saw you in Tony’s arms. I was so sure that I had lost you. That somehow you knew, the universe knew, and I had lost you.”

“No…I’m right here.” You timidly wrap your arms around his neck, gently pulling him down to you. Your lips meeting for the first time in weeks. You are instantly consumed in the need the kiss awakens inside you. His arms quickly wrapping around you pulling you closer to him. His hands slowly moving lower, than in a quick move he cups your ass in his hands lifting you to him.

“I need you somewhere else. What I want to do I cannot do in this hallway.” His whispered voice hot and needy. Your heart begins racing as he carries you the rest of the way to your room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You pull Thor after you as you rush down the hall into the room. You see Tony glaring at Bucky. Bucky has him backed against a lab table. The two-simple glaring at each other. As you enter the room Tony’s eyes find yours quickly. You look down then over to Thor then back at Tony, unsure of what else you can do. You know you should go to him, talk to him, but shame fills you knowing that he came here for you.

“Tony, I…You’re here.” You take a step toward him. You feel a tug on your arm, and you realize that your hand is still inside of Thor’s. You glance at him and he drops it with a nod. You slowly walk over to Tony. You put your hand gently on Bucky’s shoulder. He turns to look at you. “Bucky, can you give us a minute?”

“Sure.” He gives Tony one last look of disdain and turns to walk out the door. As he passes Thor, I look to him. Thor studies me for a moment then smiles a forced smile and turns to leave. He pauses in the doorway, then turns over his shoulder and says. “I’ll be in our room when you’re done.” Thor just had to piss all over your leg didn’t he?

I watch Thor disappear out the door. I continue watching the door half expecting him to return. “You and Thor?” Tony’s voice pulling you from your mind. You spin around to his voice. Tony is still leaning against the lab table, but his arms are no longer crossed across his chest. They are gripping the table on both sides.

“Tony, I…” You what? You wanted to be with him all along, but he died. Knew what? That Tony was nothing but a replacement for Thor? “I’m sorry.”

“No, I get it.” Tony truly seems ok with it, and that makes you wonder what is going on. “I knew I was just a replacement. I just mistook for who.”

“Then why did you come here?” You ask without thinking. But you do truly want to know. If not for you then why would he?

“I have my reasons.” Tony pushes himself off the table and slowly begins to walk to the door. He stops, hesitating for a moment. “IS my room in the same place here or is that one of the differences?”

“Same.”

“Thank you, I guess I will see you at dinner?” He walks away leaving you staring after him trying to figure out hat he is planning to do.


	23. A Talk

Tony paces around in his room. It is uncanny how similar it is to his own back home. Home. Is that what that place is? Did he really plan on going back there? He doesn’t know. Not yet anyway. He notices a few pictures on the nightstand. He sits on the edge of the bed looking at them. The first is of the team, himself included. He smiles, remembering how close everyone was, and how much they have gone through. Were they still that close here?

He sighs putting down the picture. He sees a second picture next to this one. It is of him and a woman. He studies it closely. She is pretty, tall, thin, she seems to have knowing eyes. Like there is something behind them that says that she knows more than the person taking the picture at least. He studies her further, wondering if he was happy with her. He has a child with her; he was told that much. Should he reach out to her? Should he tell her that he is here?

A knock on the door pulls him from his thoughts. Looking up, he is unsure if he even wants to see who is on the other side. Another knock sounds out. He decides to try something. “F.R.I.D.A.Y?”

“Yes sir.”

“Who is at the door?”

“Y/N.”

Tony sighs. “Which one?”

“The one who belongs here.”

“When did you learn sarcasm?” Tony smiles, enjoying the banter.

“I observe and assimilate.” There is a third knock at the door.

“Let her in.” He watches the door open. You are standing on the other side.

“Tony…what the hell?” You move in past him. “I was at the door, knocking. You even want to see me?”

“Hello to you too.” He closes the door. “I am just trying to process what is going on here.” He offers in a way of explanation.

“Yeah, I guess I get that.”

“So you and Steve? You all good?”

“Good is a relative term. I’d say we are working thing out.” You decide on this as an explanation.

Tony hums in the positive, turning to you. “I am happy for you.” You know that despite him saying that he is happy, you can tell that he is hiding something different.

“How did things go with you and Snow?”

“Pfffth! There is no me and anyone! Not anymore.”

“What happened?”

“She traded up for a god.”

“Oh…” You remember seeing her with Thor. “Oh.”

“Yeah…”

“Tony, I’m sorry.”

“Nah, I should have expected this. She always had a soft spot for the guy, I should have known she would latch on given the chance.”

“She kissed Steve.” You blurt out. Tony arches an eyebrow.

“He told you this?”

“Yes.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes.” You consider this for a moment. “I didn’t tell him about us.”

“I thought as much.”

“I couldn’t.” Hoping it would explain everything, but knowing it does nothing.

“You can’t face that you are torn.”

“I was vulnerable.”

“You are in denial.” Tony’s words stirring anger in you.

“I’m not denying anything!”

“You’re hiding the truth.”

“What would telling him help? He’ll have to live with the pain of knowing I chose to cheat on him with the one man he was always afraid I would leave him for.” Tony jumps on your words.

“Always?” Your words coming back to hit you in the face. You just gave Tony a hint of hope.

“There was something in the beginning, but I saw through to who you were rather quickly. Then Steve and I began dating.” Tony nods. “I have been fully committed to him since then.” You add quickly.

“Except when you came to my world.”

“Yes.”

“Why? I mean what made you change your mind?”

“What do you mean?” You slowly work your way over to the large overstuffed white sofa.

“What about me drew you in?”

“I think it was because you were dead.”

Tony laughs heartily. “I assure you I am very much alive.” You smile shaking your head.

“I mean you were dead here. Seeing you, alive, my emotions overwhelmed me.”

“So you were acting on impulse?”

“Yes.” Tony’s eyes narrow at you.

“You acted on impulse every time?” Your heart begins racing. You know you are caught. Damn it.

“Ye…yes!” Your stammer and the uncertainty in your voice betraying you.

“You’re lying.” He sits next to you. “You've never been very good at it.”

“Tony.” You want to tell him it doesn’t matter. That what happened is done but you can’t. You can feel that nagging feeling inside you that is attraction.

“Yeah, I know. You’re with the old man, I get it.”

“Tony, I wish things were different.”

“Yeah, I do too.” He seems to become lost in thought.

“What are you thinking?”

“I am thinking that I am not meant to be here.”

“Tony…”

“Com’ on Y/N! In one world I am chronically alone. In the other I am dead. It seems like a karmic statement to me.”

“Tony, here you died a hero. We all loved you. It took us a long time to get past it.” You pause for a moment weighing your next words. “I think in a way I never got over losing you.”

You watch Tony shifting closer to you. The whole movement seems to be going in slow motion. You watch him leaning in, his lips brushing yours. It is only when you feel him kissing you do you wake from your trance-like state. You pull away quickly.

“Tony, we can’t.” You put a small amount of distance between the two of you. “Even if I still care for you, I am with Steve.”

“I know.”

“I wanted to see how you are settling in.” You point to the photos on his bedside stand. “It must be a little unsettling being here, seeing things like that.”

“A bit.” His voice is low, sad. “But I get it. That was his life.”

“Actually he didn’t live here for the last few years. He and Pepper, the strawberry blonde in the picture, got married and had a little girl.”

“Married?”

“Yeah, we were all a bit surprised, but it made sense Pepper got his life on track and made him a better man. He obviously loved her. It was the natural next step.”

“How long was I with her.”

“Well, I’d say about fifteen years. But there was a short time when you split up for about eight months or so.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“What happened to separate us?”

“You were too involved in your work. Or that is what I was told.” You always felt there was more to it, but you ever pushed when given the reason.

“Huh…” Tony looks around the room again. “I can’t understand. I know losing myself in my work. I did that too after, well after you chose Steve.” He quickly corrects himself. “The other you.”

“Well, here you were suffering from PTSD or some variation of it. You became obsessed with your work, and you shut everyone out. I was the only person who you would interact with, mostly because I was able to help you with Jarvis’ program integration into the new suits.”

“You helped me with the suits?”

“Not at first.” You smile. “But as you began to make them more complicated and the circuiting became more advanced you needed a second set of eyes for the integration processing.

“Were we close?”

“I’d like to think so. You, Steve, and I were pretty close until…well until you and Steve had your fallout.”

“What happened?”

“Bucky, in a nutshell. He was our winter soldier, and in our timeline, he killed your family.”

“The Winter Soldier?”

“Yes, I’m sorry Tony.”

“How?”

“They were heading out for a vacation and Bucky intercepted them in their car.”

“That never happened in my timeline.”

“Really?”

“No, My father died of cancer. He spent every last minute of his life trying to pull James from the ice. Both James and Steve knew him from the war. I blamed James. The continuous exposure to the...well the instruments back then were mostly radioactive.”

“It is so strange.”

“What?”

“Hearing the differences between our two timelines.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. Married? A kid?” You laugh the incredulousness on his face was uniquely Tony.

“Well, I found out my boyfriend was a hydra assassin, and dead.”

“We are a pair, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, we certainly are. At least you are the same.” You smile at him.

“Oh yeah, so I am the same charming, handsome genius here too?”

“Yes with the same level of humility and self-grandiose.” You chuckle, getting up. “But I need to go. Steve is waiting for me. We’re going out for dinner and dancing.”

“And I have a date with a lovely AI. I need to figure out what is going on here.”

“Tony?”

“Yes.”

“It’s good to have you here. Steve will be happy you’re here too. Once he calms down a bit.”

“Thank you,” Tony responds. Watching you as you nod and leave. He stares at the door for a bit, before taking in the room again. The walls feeling like they are closing in around him.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

“Yes, Boss.” Tony smiles at the familiar salutation.

“Where are Steve and Y/N going tonight.”

“They usually drive to a place Brooklyn called The River Café, then they go to a small bar called the Alibi. They usually use Capt. Rogers's motorcycle.”

“Friday can you get me directions for those places please?”

“Right away, sir.”


	24. Tangled Webs

“This whole situation is going to blow up.” You say to Thor.

"Agreed.” He answers. Handing you a bottle of water. You take it, drinking deeply. Then wipe the sweat from your brow.

“We need to tell Angel about Steve and me.”

“Actually, I was talking about Tony being here. He appears to be unconcerned regarding our courtship. I believe he has his eyes on another prize.”

“What?” You are unsure how to take what he is saying. “How did you get to that conclusion?” Your mind trying to piece together what Thor is talking about.

“I am not sure if your Tony is similar to the man I knew, but if he is, he would not have come here without a plan.”

“And?”

“If he came here for you, he would have fought for you, or at least expressed his displeasure at the situation. He grazed over it in favor of retreat. That points to other goals and motives.”

You think about what Thor has said to you. Rolling around in your mind what you know of Tony. “Oh shit!” You burst out. Thor puts down his dumbbell cocking an eyebrow at you. “He’s after Angel.” Thor seems to consider this for a moment.

“That seems to fit.” He responds calmly.

“What the hell…” you start pacing the floor. “You know her. Do you think she knows what he is up to?”

“I doubt she is aware of his motives. She has been devoted to Steve since before I knew them.”

“She came here with him.” You counter.

“This is true, however in my experience individuals can be very deceptive even to those closest to you.”

“Loki…” You can’t help but smile at the antics he put Thor through in your world.

“My brother was always scheming. I was never sure where his mind was, it was an educational experience being his brother.”

“I think we need to talk to her, or him, or both.”

“Are you sure that is wise?” Thor reaches out, stopping you from pacing. “Maybe we should just wait and see how this unfolds.”

“We should at least warn her.”

Thor smiles at you pulling you into him. “You are so caring.” He coos before kissing you deeply.

After a moment, you pull away. “I need to go take a shower, I’m stinky.” You push him away playfully with a light push on his chest.

“I will join you.”

“I need to actually shower.”

“And I can help.” He flashes you a mischievous grin and you can’t help but smile back at him.

“Only if you let me help you too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the shower, you set out to find Tony. After your talk with Thor, you decide you may get farther by splitting up. You take Angel since you feel you can get through to her, being basically the same person, and Thor takes Tony since they had a strong friendship, once.

You throw on some jeans and a pullover before heading down to his room. You take a deep breath outside before knocking on the door. It is going to be so strange talking to yourself.

She opens the door to see you standing there. “Hello?” she says. You can see clothes laying on the bed behind her.

“Hey, we need to talk.” She moves to the side to allow you to enter.

“Yeah, I was hoping to talk to you too, about Tony.” The look on her face telling you she may already know more than you thought.

“He is here to get you back.” She says and you try hard not to laugh.

“Are you completely clueless?”

“No. Are you?” She rebuts you. “He told me about your relationship. He cares about you.” You study her for a few moments. She genuinely has no idea what is happening. What did happen while you were here?

“What happened while I was gone?”

“What do you mean?” Her feigned innocent pisses you off.

“Did you fuck Tony?” The fake shock on her face tells you the truth. She looks away not saying anything. “Christ…did you tell Steve?”

“No…well…no.” Shame filling her voice and you feel for her.

“You might want to tell him soon before it comes out.”

“You would know.” She mumbles. You feel your anger squashing any sympathy you had for her.

“Ok. Ya know what? I am trying to help you.” You take a breath. “I know my life is a hot mess. But I know where I am going with it. You, however, have a man here who obviously loves you and I am sure you love. Then you have a man who came here to try to convince you to be with him. A man that you obviously had some attraction to since you had sex with him.” Your tone remaining angry but evening out. “If you don’t want to lose Steve tell him about Tony. AND you need to tell Tony you are not interested anymore.”

“He knows…”

“NO, he doesn’t!” You snap, louder than you wanted. “Steve doesn’t know, or he would be trying to kill Tony. And if Tony accepts it was over, he would be trying to get me back.”

“He’s not?” She is very surprised by this.

“Nope. I didn’t even have to say anything. He just saw me with Thor, and he was completely calm.”

“That is weird.”

“Not if he has already moved on.” You look down at the necklace hanging around her neck. “And he never gave me anything like that.” Her hand immediately going to the necklace. You arch an eyebrow. “It is over right?”

“Yes! I love Steve.” You hear her words, but they lack conviction. “What about Bucky?” she tries desperately to change the subject.

“Bucky?” You are not sure what she is talking about. After a second you realize she is talking about James. “James?” you ask her.

“Yes, you know your fiancé?”

“James doesn’t want to be with me.” The words come out of your mouth before you even realize you are thinking them. You sigh, feeling the need to explain. “James felt trapped because I was pregnant. He wanted to be with Natasha. She loves him, I loved Steve. At least now one of us can get the person we want.”

“Did you?” she wants to ask, but chokes on the words. “Did you and Steve?”

“No…we didn’t.” you console her. Then decide to be honest since you are asking her to be honest with him. “I wanted to…I missed my Steve, but we just kissed, then he pushed me away, he wanted to be faithful to you.”

“James is with Natasha.” She blurts out, wanting to hurt you. You look at her and burst into laughter.

“I figured as much.”

“You’re okay with that?” She asks in surprise.

“I’m happy for him.” You smile. “I think we need to focus on what you want.”

“I told you what I want.”

“Well, I am not sure you really know. You slept with Tony.”

“I told you it’s over.”

“If it really was over you wouldn’t be wearing that.” You point at the necklace around her neck. Her face turns hard.

“I need to get ready. Steve and I have a date.” She gets up and turns away from you.

“Fine, but don’t forget I warned you.”

You leave the room and bump directly into Steve. “Steve…have fun tonight.”

“Snow,” Steve stops you. “Do you really think she had sex with him?”

You turn to face him. “If you need to ask you already know.” you reply. Then you walk away. Behind you, you hear Steve punch the wall hard.


	25. Pre-date Antics

You are holding up one of the dresses that are laying on your bed when Steve walks in. You look at him in the mirror for a second before looking back at your dress, deciding you don’t like it you try another. “I’m not ready yet. Do you like this red on or should I wear the blue?”

“Which one would Tony like?”

You freeze for a moment. Then try to cover up you reaction. “Maybe I should just wear something else. You toss the red dress onto the bed and start digging in the closet. “Tony doesn’t care what I wear.” You reply nonchalantly.

“I guess not, if he’s just going to remove it.” Steve grinds out. His voice is closer to you.

“Steve, what the hell?”

“You’re pissed at me?” his voice louder now. “I am done with the games. I waited here for you. I worried you would never come back, that I would never see you again. You know how much that tore me apart. The first time I lost someone like this. This time it felt worse. And then you came back, I was so relieved.”

“I missed you too but what does this have to do with Tony?”

“When I heard you were back I was so happy, I had you back. I felt like I found a piece of myself again. Then I saw who you were with him and everything came crashing around me.”

“Steve…”

“Don’t lie to me!” Steve’s voice a deep growl. “Snow told me the truth.” You feel the blood leaving your face. You turn to look at him, the tears on your face turning to anger as you think about her telling him. She has no right considering everything she has done to everyone in her world.

“You are far from innocent Steve. She told me you kissed her.” Steve face falters for only a second.

“Yes, I did. But only because I missed you so much. I only kissed her because I wanted her to be you. I told you that!”

“Like that makes it better!”

“It’s better than you fucking Tony. Did you want to be with him? Is that what you want?”

“No. Steve, I’m sorry.” You are fully crying now. The hurt and anger in his face tearing into you. You caused this, and you hate yourself for it. “It happened once, and it was a mistake.” You reach for him and he steps back. His hands up in front of him stopping you.

“I don’t even know you anymore.” He steps back. “My girl would never cheat on me, and she would never lie to me about it.”

“You kissed her!” You counter.

“Yes I did, and I told you.”

“How does that make it better?”

“Because I didn’t fuck her!” Steve drops his head shaking it. “I can’t do this. I…I need some time.” He turns and leaves the room.

“Steve!” you call out to him. You get to the door seconds after he walks through it. “Steve.”

He stops at the elevator doors, turning to you. “Y/N, I love you. I just need time to figure out what all this means.” You watch him step onto the elevator. You feel a new rush of anger and hurt filling your head. You need to talk to someone, anyone, but you don’t know who. Usually you would go to Thor, but he is occupied. You can’t talk to Bucky because you know he will go back to Steve. You can’t expect him to keep things from his best friend.

“Damn it.” You drop onto you bed. You have never felt more alone in your entire life. After crying for a few more moments you decide to get ready to go out anyway. You need this time to find a way to salvage your relationship. You dry your eyes, grab the red dress and get ready to drink yourself in to oblivion.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Snow walks down the hallway to Tony’s room. Banging hard on the door. After a minute it opens to Thor’s exasperated face. “No Luck?” he asks stepping aside allowing you in.

“Oh by all means come in join the party!” Tony calls from across the room. When you step inside you find Steve standing on the opposite side of a panel of windows.

“Yeah…because to Tony everything is a spectacle.” Steve retorts glaring at Tony.

You look over to Thor for context. “The Captain and Angel had a fight. He came here to confront Tony.” You glance at the two as Thor finishes. “He may have heard Tony admit to me that he wants to get her back.” You spin on him, a mixture of surprise and shock. “I have been keeping them separate since.

“Tony admitted it!”

“Yes, he said he had nothing to hide, and nothing to apologize for.”

“Well Angel believes he’s here for me.” You look over seeing the two men watching you and Thor.

“Tony, we need to talk.” Your stern voice leaving little room to negotiate.

“He’s not going anywhere until he answers me!” Steve announces stepping toward Tony again. 

“I don’t have to explain anything to you. Angel is her own person! If she is done with you, there’s nothing you can do about it!”

“Tony!” you scold him.

“You son of….” Steve comes flying at Tony. Thor steps in trying to restrain Steve. You push Tony back.

“You and I are leaving, now!” You grab his arm pulling him from the room. “I am done with this childishness.

Once you get him in the hall, he pulls his arm from you. “That is my room!”

“Actually, it is another Tony’s room. YOU don’t belong here!”

“What does that matter?”

“SHE does belong her and SHE is with Steve. Let it go!”

“Oh? You mean like you let James go? If I remember correctly, He was with Natasha when you lost Steve.”

“That is different!”

“How so?” A slight amusement in his voice.

“We were both from the same universe.” You blurt out, not sure what else to say.

“That has no bearing and we both know it.”

“Tony, I talked to her. She is staying with Steve.”

“As if she would admit anything to you! You made an attempt on Steve yourself.” Your face drops. The truth of his words settling in.

“Tony, she was pretty upset.”

“She has a choice to make, if she had already made it, I would know.” He leaves you standing in the hallway, walking to the nearby elevator whistling.

Snow reenters Tony’s room. Steve is now pacing the room. “I am not going to sit around and watch Tony make moves on my girl!”

"No one is telling you to, but you need to consider her view of the situation. She may be feeling confused. The situation may be causing her to see her life differently.”

“That’s what I am afraid of.”

“And do you plan on telling her that you demand she abandons her feelings?”

“Yes…No…” Steve sighs in frustration.

“Steve,” You speak up. “You just need to tell her how you feel, apologize for getting angry. I know she loves you.” You step closer, attempting to get him to stop pacing. “Tony is like a bulldozer. He just plows ahead in situations without thinking.”

Steve stops pacing and looks at you. “He is trying to win her over.”

“Yes, and if you try beating him at his game you are going to lose. Just be yourself. You are the guy she loves, just remind her of that. Be honest about how you feel.” You think for a second. “She was going somewhere when I talked to her…”

“We had a date…” Steve seems to get an idea. “She’s still going?”

“Apparently.”

“I need to go.” Steve leaves abruptly.

You watch him leave, smiling. Thor walk up to you. “Where is he going?”

“To get the girl.”


	26. Night Out

You sit at the bar, wondering why you made such a mess of things. Tony came here under false pretenses. Snow is bringing Thor back to her home with her. James and Natasha are back together, and Steve thinks you want to be with Tony.

You order another drink, this one finally has a noticeable effect on you. The more you think about it the more you realize it is really not that bad. Now Snow found someone to make her happy, James is happy with Natasha, you are home, with the ability to get Snow home. And it only came at the cost of your own life going into shambles. You down the rest of your drink. “Here’s to me fixing Snow’s life while destroying my own.” You toast yourself in the mirror behind the bar.

You order another drink and some food. This time making your way to a table near the jukebox. The bar is starting to fill with people. You watch them for a while, the couples who are on dates, enjoying each other’s company. Watching them makes you long for Steve. You sigh, ordering a pitcher of beer when your waitress brings your food.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you want to join the others at this gathering?” Thor asks you.

“It would be fun to see the drama unfolding, but I think we should let those two figures this out alone.”

“Wise words.” Thor smiles. “I have also made a decision about your proposal.” You sneak your arms around his neck.

“And…”

“I would love to join you in ruling your Asgard.” Thor’s tone and expression telling you he is still hesitant.

“Are you sure? You don’t need to come with me for us to stay together. I can stay here.” You don’t even realize you are thinking it until you say it.

“Do you want to stay here?”

“I…I don’t know. I just…I never really thought about it.”

“Oh…” his voice brimming with disappointment.

“Thor…I want to be with you. I just am not sure I want to stay here with you. It will be odd having two of me here.”

“It could be like a twin. Have you no twins in your world?”

“I do, we do. But usually, they are siblings and don’t share the same name.”

“You can change your name,” Thor says simply. You laugh.

“Sweetie, we have nicknames, but it’s more than that. It is simply weird to talk to someone who looks exactly like me.”

“You can change how you look, cut your hair, or dye it.” His suggestion is so simple. You think about it.

“Well, it’s a start, I suppose.” You look at the mirror, picturing a new look. You realize it has been a while since you changed anything about your looks. “Yeah, that could work.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You’ve eaten and drank probably four more shots, and are now feeling pretty good about yourself. You are dancing with some guy; you are not sure who. He asked you to dance and you just thought to yourself 'what the hell?'

You are grinding up against the guy when you see a familiar face walking in through the door. You abandon the guy on the floor walking over to him. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Let’s say I am expanding my horizons.” He smirks when you chuckle, silently shaking your head.

“So you decide to slum it at dive bars.”

“Oh, I don’t know, it has some sights worth seeing.”

“Wow. You really know how to lay it on thick, don’t you?” You slide closer to him, the alcohol lowering your inhibitions. “So did you come here just to butter me up, or are ya here to have some fun?”

“Since when did they become exclusive of each other?” He can tell you are inebriated. He is unsure if he likes the idea of continuing his plan or not. You shrug your shoulders no longer interested in talking. You grab his hand and pull him to the floor. You push your back and body against him pulling his arms around you. Keeping his arms tight around you, you begin dancing.

At first Tony is hesitant to comply. Not sure if you may think he is taking advantage of you in your drunken state. After a second you turn facing him, a delicious pout on your face. You throw your arms around his neck, looking you at him you whisper. “Do you want me?”

Tony almost chokes at your question. You continue looking at him, your eye pleading with him for acceptance. “You know I do.” He says just loud enough so you can hear him.

“Steve doesn’t want me anymore.” You sigh, resting your head against Tony’s chest. “I hurt him and now he doesn’t want me anymore.”

“Oh, baby, he is just hurt.” Tony soothes you. Not understanding why he is saying this. This is the chance he has been hoping for. To show himself as a viable choice over Steve. Tony starts to guide you off the floor and over to your table in the corner of the bar.

“I’m hurt too!” You pout even more. Tony gets you settled into the booth, sliding in next to you. “He kissed Snow! He has no right to be mad at me!” Your voice slightly slurring.

“Sweetheart, we did a lot more than kiss.”

“Yeaaahhh we did.” You smile at Tony. And I don’t regret it. He kissed her, so I don’t care.” Your exaggerated nod making Tony smile. You wave at the waitress, “Hey…Hey, I need 2 more shots and a triple bourbon neat.” You smile over at Tony. “I know your drink!” You slur. Obviously pleased with yourself.

“Yes, you do.” Tony smiles softly. “Hey baby doll, I think we need to cut you off.”

“NO!” you almost shout. “Booooo!” you begin trying to climb on to the table in front of you. Trying to get over to the bar.

Tony grabs you. “Hey there. I need to you stay down here for me.” You fall back onto the booth’s bench. Tony quickly looks around the room making sure no one saw your antics. Your drinks arrive seconds after you resume your seat. You pull your shots to you while Tony settles with the server. You quickly down both drinks. Seeing Tony is still talking with the server you start sliding down from the bench to the floor. You quickly crawl out from under the table and get are about a foot from the booth before standing up.

“I need to pee.” You announce stumbling to the bathrooms. Tony shakes his head letting you go.

Instead of going to the bathroom, you head straight for the dance floor. You start dancing again with the guy you were dancing with before Tony arrived. The man is no longer shy about manhandling you. After a minute you see Tony walking over to you. When he gets to the two of you, he speaks. “Y/N, I think it is time to go.” Tony’s voice is firm.

“TONY!” You act as if you are seeing him for the first time. You throw yourself at him, much to the chagrin of the man who you were dancing with.

“Sweetheart, say good night to your friend.”

“Good night to your friend!” you recite, then giggle.

“Ok.” Tony picks you up bridal style, deciding enough is enough. You need to go home. He begins walking to the back entrance where he left his car. You throw your arms around him and kiss him softly. Tony instantly responding by returning the kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve is standing in front of the bar. He knows you are inside. He has gone over what he wants to say to you a million times. After taking another deep breath he opens the doors. Stepping inside, he sees it is a bit busier than usual. He walks over to the bar to get a good vantage point in order to find you.

When he reaches the bar, he turns, scanning the room. His heart sinks instantly when his eyes fall on you. You are dancing with some strange guy. Well, dancing is a loose term, rubbing up against like a cat in heat is more like it. He is about to step in when he sees Tony walking over to the two of you. Steve immediately begins seeing red. 

‘What the hell is he doing here?’ Steve watches to see what happens. He sees Tony saying something to you then you throwing yourself at him. That is his cue to come over. Eyes locked onto you as he moves closer. Tony picking you up and carrying you toward the back exit. Steve picks up his pace trying to weave through the crowd. When he is about two feet away, he sees you kiss Tony.

Steve turns venomous. He puts a hand on Tony’s shoulder. Tony breaks the kiss, putting you down. He turns to face Steve while you stumble back into the door. Steve instantly punches Tony.

Tony takes a second to register who is standing in front of him. He expected the guy you were dancing with, not Steve. “What the hell Steve? Don’t you ever stop to ask what is happening or does your Neanderthal mind always go straight to violence?”

“I have two eyes.” Steve’s voice dangerously low. “I can see she is very drunk, and you have your face on hers.”

“Yes, And I am trying to get her home.” Tony concedes.

“Yeah, I bet,” Steve says moving past Tony to you. “Y/N, are you okay to walk?”

“Steve!!” You squeal. You attempt to put on a serious face, studying his eyes. “Your eyes are sooooo blue.” You say in exaggerated awe. You continue to stare at him. He sighs, picking you up, carrying you in the same way Tony was.

“Y/N, you are drunk, we need to get you home.” Steve carries you out the back door. Realizing at that moment that he drove there on his bike. He looks over at Tony who is following behind, his hand gently messaging his jaw. “Tony, can you drive?”

“Yeah yeah…” Tony hits the alarm in his car, the light flashing showing where the car is. It is a two-seat car.

“Can I trust you to bring her home?”

“That was the plan before you plowed in and smashed your fist into my face,” Tony grumbles, hand going to his cheek.

“I’ll follow behind,” Steve says. He looks at you when he begins feeling you wiggling in your arms.

“Tony?” You whine. “Tony you left me. I hear you.” You continue like a child, giggling. “I’m going to find you.”

“You are going home and to bed.” Steve reminds you. Tony opens the passenger side to his car and Steve gently places you inside. He moves to kiss you on the forehead, but you gab his face pulling him for a deep kiss.

“MY Steve.” You whisper against his lips before resuming the kiss. After a few moments, Tony clears his voice.

“Ok baby, I’ll see you in a few minutes,” Steve says softly. Clicking your seatbelt into place for you. He closes the door after giving Tony a warning glare. Then he walks over to his bike around the front of the building. Just as he gets on, he sees Tony pulling out of the ally. Steve follows the car back to the compound.


	27. The Morning After

Tony pulls the car into the parking garage. You can barely register where you are. You look around and all you can see is concrete and cars. You close your eyes taking a few deep breaths to center yourself. You are interrupted by the sound of someone knocking loudly on the window. Your eyes shooting open. You look over to see Steve on the other side of the window.

“Tony, open the door!” He shouts. You turn to Tony, your head begins spinning with the movement.

“Why?”

“Damn it, Tony!”

“Well, she looks comfortable right where she is.”

“She needs to come to bed.” Steve pounds on the window again. You laugh feeling like you are a fish in an aquarium.

“Steve!” you laugh loudly pointing.

“Damn it, Tony! Open this door or I swear!” Steve’s temper flaring. Tony can see Steve is about to bust out his window.

“Fine!” You hear the click of the doors. The sound loud in your ears. You hear the door next to you opening up. From the smell of the cologne, you can tell it is Steve. He gently picks you up carrying into the building. You snuggle into him with a sigh before falling into a deep sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, punk,” Bucky calls to Steve as he enters the common room. When Steve doesn’t respond Bucky walks over and sits next to him. Steve glances at him briefly before starting back out the window overlooking the compound.

“I think I’m losing her.” He says without looking at Bucky.

“What’s going on?”

“We were supposed to go on a date last night. But we got into an argument. So she went without me.”

“And?”

“I went to get her.”

“Ok if you don’t pick up the pace in this conversation, I’ll have to fill in the blanks on my own.”

“When I got there she was with Tony, or on Tony…or…Tony was involved, at least from my point of view.”

“Did she leave with Tony?”

“No. Well yes, but only because I drove my bike and she was too drunk to ride on it.”

“Okay.” Bucky waits for a second letting Steve think. “Did she go there with Tony?”

“No.” The tone of Steve’s voice becoming more uncertain.

“Ok, so she got into an argument with you and went out. While out she runs into Tony, at a bar, where they serve alcohol. Alcohol which is something that Tony basically breathes in daily.”

“She was all over him.” Steve tries to defend his stance.

“She got drunk, probably to drown out the pain of the argument. The two of you rarely fight. When she is drunk, she gets clingy. Remember when she tried to convince me that my arm was a magnet and she couldn’t get away from me because of the pull.”

Steve shakes his head, chuckling at the memory. “Yeah, that was the night I finally admitted how I felt for her. I thought you were moving in on her and I jumped all over you about it.”

“Steve. She was drunk.”

“I found that out.”

“And every time after that…?”

“I was there.”

“Exactly.”

“So she was hurt about your fight and nothing else was happening?” Steve asks, more to consider this then to ask Bucky.

“If you are so concerned, make a move. Show her how much she means to you.”

“She knows.”

“She may know, but sometimes the world needs to know.”

“Are you saying?”

“You do love her, right?”

“Yes. You know that.”

“Well then punk, you know what you need to do.” Bucky watches as Steve’s demeanor changes to a more hopeful one.

“Bucky…I think I’m gonna…” Before Steve can finish Snow runs into the room.

“Steve…Thor and I are going home, tomorrow!” She is now jumping up and down in front of him and Bucky.

Steve and Bucky look at each other in a silent exchange. “That’s great doll. But um…how is Tony going to get home?” Bucky asks.

“Oh, he’s staying here.” Snow answers. “I have to go tell everyone!” She runs off, practically bouncing out the door.

“Is her hair shorter?” Bucky asks Steve, distracted by her new appearance. Steve’s eyes are still focused on the door Snow trounced out of.

“Son of a Bitch!” Steve growls loudly, getting up and storming out of the room.

“Oh, shit.” James growls following after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You wake to the sound of someone coming into your room. Your head is pounding. The room is dark, you see that the blinds are closed. Looking over at the alarm clock on your stand you see it is 8:00 in the morning. You roll back onto your back and moan.

“Hangovers are the worse. So, glad I don’t get them anymore.” Tony’s voice comes from next to your bed. The nearness makes you jump. The sudden movement causing your head to begin pounding.

“ahhrg.” Your hand going to your head, cradling it.

“I brought hangover food.” Tony sits down next to you on the bed. Setting the tray on your lap. You look over the tray of random foods and grab the banana and a bottle of water. “Thanks.”

“So…rather interesting time you had last night.”

“Oh god…what did I do?” Tony chuckles but doesn’t answer. You grimace, trying to search your mind for any reminders. You remember drinking a lot, then dancing. You remember Tony… then going home…and Steve. Oh, Steve was so mad. “Oh, God…”

“It’s not as bad as you think.”

“Steve is…I was…” You can’t even speak. You feel so bad. “I don’t know why I even went without him.”

“Sweetheart. I hate to admit it, but he wasn’t mad. Disappointed maybe, especially finding you wrapped in my arms.”

“Tony!” You almost forget the tray on your lap, the contents clanging together as if reminding you of its presence. You carefully lift it off your lap and are about to place it on the foot of the bed when Tony grabs it from you. And quickly sets in on the floor next to where he was laying. You wait for him to put the tray down not wanting to upset his balance. Once the thump announces the tray's arrival you move to get up.

Tony rests his hand on your thigh. “Hey, I did come here to talk.”

You relax back into the sitting position, your legs stretched out in front of you. “Okay?”

“Well, I talked to Snow last night, after we got back.” Tony shifts so that he is on his side leaning in toward you, His frame shadowing yours. “She is going to use your suit to go back home.”

“That makes sense.” You start thinking about this. Glad to finally have your world to yourself. Then you realize what this might mean. “Did you come to say good-bye?”

“Um, about that…” Tony studies your face for a moment. You look at him expectantly, his dark eyes are soft and loving. “She is bringing Thor back with her.”

“What?” You are unsure you heard him correctly.

“She and Thor are leaving for my world tomorrow. I am staying here.”

“Tony…” You are unsure what to say, or how you feel. Is he crazy? He can’t just be here. This world thinks he’s dead! “Tony!” you are suddenly feeling trapped, your brain telling you exactly what he is expecting. “I am with Steve, you know that.”

“Yes, I know that, but situations change, circumstances change, and so do feelings.” Tony leans in capturing your lips with his own. Your head is spinning. You are not sure if it is from the kiss or your hangover. You push him away.

“Tony…” You about to tell him no. But when you see the figure in the doorway you cannot speak. In the next minute, Tony is flying across the room landing against your sofa, and a very pissed off Steve is filling your vision.


	28. Colliding Worlds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to apologize to those who have been waiting for this chapter. I will try to update faster. I am in the process of moving and its been a crazy time between locating new place and packing. But I have not and WILL NOT abandon this story. so bear with me!

“Steve.” Your own voice making you wince. He glances at you, taking in your state. He can tell you are hungover. He turns back on Tony. “Did you tell her?”

Tony stands up and winds his shoulder a bit in an attempt to remove the soreness. “If you couldn’t tell we were not really in the talking mood when you barged in.”

“Tell me what?” Steve is reminded you are there when he hears your voice.

“Tony…tell her or get out! Either way, you will never get what you want!”

“You just keep thinking that.”

“Will SOMEONE please tell me what you are talking about?” You yell at the two men, then wince and grab your head again.

Steve slides over to your side and sits next to you. “How is your head?” There is a hint of amusement there.

“Great…except for the death metal band playing inside it.” You joke.

“Here.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a packet of aspirin. “I was bringing you these.”

“Thanks.” You take the pills and the water from your breakfast tray. You quickly knock them back. The three of you continue sharing in an uncomfortable silence. After what feels like an eternity you speak. “What is going on?” Your voice calm and even.

“I think Tony has been lying to you,” Steve says. His voice low and even, but the anger is evident in his glare and posture.

“I have not lied to her. Don’t even try to spin this!”

“Well, you haven’t exactly been forthcoming either!”

“HEY!” you shout. Your head hurting a little less at your outburst compared to last time. Both men become silent and look at you in surprise. “I’m sitting right here!” You glare at Steve before looking at Tony. “Tony, what is Steve talking about?”

“Well, I’m not going back home.”

“Tony…” Part of you thought this would happen, but you thought it would be because he would stay here to be with Pepper and Morgan. You know he is not staying for them. He has yet to even meet them.

“Don’t say it. I know what you are about to say and don’t. Snow wanted to bring her new boy toy home with her, so I offered to stay here so she could. That’s all.” His eyes meeting yours, pleading for you to leave it alone.

You know he is not staying for that reason. You know that he is trying to make something out of what little there is between the two of you. You also know that talking about this in front of Steve is not a good idea. With the huge migraine you are currently sporting you don’t want any more stress then absolutely necessary.

“Tony. Can we talk later? About all this?” Steve tenses just enough for you to notice, but not enough for Tony to see.

“Yeah, I need to figure out the logistics of resurrection.” He quips, ignoring Steve’s glare. Tony strides over to you and kneels in front of you. “You rest up, hangovers are a real bitch if not cared for properly.” Tony quickly kisses your cheek then gets up and leaves.

You watch Tony saunter out the door as if everything is normal. You continue staring at the door. You are trying to comprehend how you are going to deal with this cluster that was dropped into your lap. The thoughts stirring in your mind intensifying your headache.

“You didn’t know he was going to stay?”

“No…” You feel a mix of anger and hurt at his question. But then you remember your original plan. That maybe he could find happiness here with Pepper. Shit! With all the drama in your own life you forgot about Pepper.

“Well, he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon,” Steve says while looking at the same door you are. Then turning back to you he places a finger on you chin turning you to face him. “And since Tony seems to have already taken care of breakfast what else can I do for my ailing girl this morning?’

“Since you ask?” You smile mischievously and lean in your eyes darting to his lips then back to his eyes. You see a smirk form on his lips before they softly claim yours.

*************************************************

“Sir, Dr. Banner is urgently trying to reach you.”

“Put him through,” Tony answers dismissively while paging through reports. He has been spending the last couple hours trying to get his bearings on the company's, his company's direction. Apparently, someone named Pepper Potts has been in charge of the company in his absence (He still cannot say his death, seems to morbid.) She has been doing a fairly decent job of it too. There are a few decisions he questions but he cannot argue with the bottom line.

The return of himself to the company should be fairly smooth from the looks of the legal work, especially with the stipulations put into place in a matter of his disappearance. Those could easily be applied to this case.

“Tony!” Bruce’s voice startles him from his thoughts. “Tony! Can you hear me? Are you there?”

“Yes, Bruce. I still have all my faculties. I’m not geriatric, so can we dial the volume down a few notches? What’s up?”

“Why did you have to go out to a bar?”

“Because I wanted a drink?” Tony is not amused by the question.

“And you couldn’t drink here?”

“Bruce, what is this about?”

“Tony. Turn on the news.”

Tony’s heart sinks. SHIT! People think I am dead, and…FUCK! He turns on the news and sure enough someone’s cell phone footage is on the news showing him with you and Steve at the bar. You are very drunk and hanging on him. Steve is glaring daggers at both of you. The headline reads Tony Stark Fakes His Own Death. Then he flips to another channel. The same video is showing and another headline showing something very different. Tony Stark Not Dead But Leaves Potts For Fellow Avenger. “Son-of -a-Bitch!”

“Tony…there’s more.”

“What else?” Tony cannot believe it can get worse.

“Tony…Pepper, your…his wife. Is coming to the compound, now.”

“Who?”

Before Bruce can respond Tony hears a voice behind him. “That would be me, your wife!”


	29. Goodbyes

“Thor, are sure you are about this? I mean, yeah, I get wanting your home back, but it's not going to be the same. Look at Snow, your family could be completely different. They could be royal dicks.” Rocket says. Peter sits next to him, his arms crossed. In the back of his mind, he is completely fine with Thor leaving. He doesn’t dislike the man, but he is sick of competing for command of his own crew. The guy is overall a good guy, but maybe this is best for everyone involved. Maybe with Thor gone, he has a better chance of finding Gamora.

“Oh rabbit, I am aware that this will be a different world. But I believe that this is where I am needed.”

“Rocket, Thor can always come back if it does not seem to be what he wants it to be. But we don’t have Valkyrie there, and his world is currently under Loki’s rule. It is sustaining but not well from what…well from what Peter has told me.

Peters eyebrow arcs at that. “There’s another me over there?”

“Good lord that is the last thing we need is more than one you!” Rocket responds.

“I AM GROOT!”

“NO! That was not mean. Can you imagine a world with two Peter Quills?”

“I am Groot.”

“Hey, I am not that bad. I saved the Nova Core from Ronin!”

“Then Thanos destroyed them.” Rocket adds.

“Not my fault!”

“I am going to Snow’s world.” Thor interrupts the childish argument. “I leave the protection of these realms in your hands. Thor looks at Peter as his last words are spoken.

“WE totally got this!” Rocket replies with his normal level of cocky confidence.

“I am Groot.”

"Sorry little tree, but you need to stay here.”

“I am Groot.” Groot’s disappointment is obvious.

“Not that I care, but what is going to happen to Stark?” Peter is the first to consider the consequences of him staying.

“I hope he finds happiness.” Snow speaks for the first time since they started the conversation. “He has been dealt a bad hand in our world, and I have it on good authority he has his eyes on some happiness here.” Peter’s eyebrow cocks. Everyone thinks he is not that observant, but he can tell when trouble is brewing, and Snow’s tone tells him she knows it too.

“So he has a plan?” Peter pushes.

“Yeah, he does. Doesn’t he always?”

Peter thinks back to Titan. Remembering how Stark instantly went into action when they had to battle Thanos. “Yeah that he does.” Peter shifts uncomfortably in his seat. He knows in his gut when Snow and Thor leave there is going to be a mess left behind.

“So when are you leaving?” Rocket asks.

“In a couple of hours.” Snow beams. Thor looks over to her with a loving smile.

“I am Groot,” Groot says with a low sad tone.

“I’ll miss you too little guy,” Thor says to Groot. He reaches his arm out and Groot moves over and hugs him. Peter watches the exchange with adoration and a bit of jealousy. Groot is still a surly teen, and for him to show affection is such a rare occurrence he feels a pang of jealously that the affection is not directed towards him.

After a moment the two separates. Thor takes in a deep breath to compose himself before turning to Snow. “Well, I think we need to finish our preparations. Stark wanted to ensure the suits would fit and function for what we are trying to do.”

Snow looks at the group one last time, then sighs. “Yes…” She looks around at Peter, Groot, and Rocket. She smiles knowing she is going to miss them. In her world, after Thor died, Peter stayed for a short time. Taking time, grieving the loss of Gamora, sharing in her grief over losing Thor. He is sweet and kind and they almost fell into each other’s arms a few times. But the memories of what they lost held them back. And now she is looking at this man, an image of that Peter, and he isn’t remotely like the one she left in her world.

The thought is sobering. What if Rocket is right? What if Thor gets back to Asgard and they prefer Loki? Or what if Thor gets there and they don’t believe he is really him? Oh, she did not think this through at all. Her heart begins to race as panic sets in. She needs to talk to Tony. “Thor.” Her voice is shaky and soft. “I need to talk to Tony alone for a few minutes.”

Thor studies her face for a moment trying to understand her new mood. He decides to let it go, figuring if anything was wrong, she’d tell him. “Ok, I’ll be in our rooms.” He places a soft kiss on her forehead and leaves her standing with her thoughts. Snow takes in a deep breath, Tony had better be able to soother her fears or this situation is going to be going a completely different direction.


	30. Doorways

You walk out of the elevator to hear voices from the lab. You recognize on e as Tony’s the other is Bruce. There is a third you don’t know, a female voice. You debate on getting back onto the elevator, but then remember that you are supposed to be leaving with Thor today. With a sigh, you decide to push on.

As you approach the door you hear the female voice getting louder and sounding shrill.

“Tony, I don’t care what excuse you are trying to give me. She is your daughter! How do you think she feels seeing you on the news, alive!”

You stop dead in your track just outside the doorway. ‘ _Tony has a child?_ ’ You feel more uncertainty about your plan. The Tony here seems so different then the one you knew.

“Snow, you’re early,” Bruce calls to you. Glad for the interruption of Pepper and Tony’s rather heated discussion. You are about to say you’ll come back later when all eyes in the room are suddenly focused on you.

“Y/N, did you cut your hair?” Pepper asks. She appears to be trying to be cordial, but there is an edge in her voice that sounds accusatory.

“Thor thought it would be a good idea to differentiate me from the other me.” You answer as you step into the room; deciding since you are pulled into whatever is going on you might as well jump in with both feet.

“Thor?” She raises an eyebrow in question.

“She and Thor are dating.” Tony says simply.

“WHAT?!?” Pepper’s shrill voice is back. She looks from Tony to you then to Bruce. “What happened to Steve?”

“Pepper, this is what I was trying to tell you,” Bruce says softly. Pepper looks back at you, scrutinizing your appearance.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., are there two Y/N’s in this building right now?”

“Yes, Ms. Potts.”

“What the…”

“Pepper? It is Pepper right?” You say to her. She is startled by your question, nodding.

“I am…I’m not from here. There was an issue with the time travel device and…”

“She’s from a parallel universe, and so am I.” Tony finishes for you.

“Are you being serious?” She asks you, as if Tony is joking about all of this. You nod simply. She steps back fro a moment looking between yo and Tony. “Were you at the bar with Tony last night?”

“No I was with Thor.” You answer not understanding wht she is asking you about.

“SO…” Pepper seems to be considering something. After a moment she turns to Tony. “You are not my Tony?”

“Sorry sweetheart but no.”

“And last night you were with Y/N?”

“No. Well yes but not in the way you are implying.” Tony sighs. “She is still with Steve.” Tony’s disappointment hanging heavily in the room.

“But you WANT to be with her?”

“Pepper, don’t…” Bruce begins. Pepper stopping him with the gesture of her hand, holding her hand out the full length of her arm. Palm out facing directly at Bruce, her eyes never leaving Tony’s.

“You wanted her before, but you couldn’t get her. SO or course it makes sense that any other version of you would try to get her. I was always knew deep down I was a consolation prize, but now I guess that fact is clear.” You can see tears making trails from her eyes, trailing over her high cheekbones and over the edge of her jaw. You want to reach out for her, tell her that if she would just wait… Tony would come around. But you know your words would only hurt her more. So you remain silent.

“Pepper, I am…” Tony’s voice is soft and clear feeling of regret surprises you. “I am sorry I am not the man you love. I can’t pretend to be that man, it would be unfair to everyone involved.”

“I just…I can’t.” She chokes out and turns almost running from the room. Tony is unsure what he should do. You and Tony both look at Bruce.

“I’ll…I’ll go talk to her.” He stutters suddenly very uncomfortable in the room. He quietly leaves. You and Tony avoid looking at each other for some time unsure what to say. Tony turns back to his lab table, fumbling with something. You clear your throat before speaking.

“Tony, will Thor be able to fit into our world?” You ask straight out.

“Thor’s life will be better, if that ‘s what you want to know.” He says quietly.

“You believe that?”

“Yes, his life in our world will be just like it was here before his world was destroyed. His people will welcome him back with open arms.”

“Thank you.” You are unsure what else to say.

Tony turn to face you. “I think someone should at least find happiness in the mess that is this situation, I am glad it is you.” He locks eyes with you for a brief moment before turning back to his project. “We should get the two of you sent home soon. The bracelets here are ready now.”

“You created new ones?” You ask, unsure as to why he wouldn’t just use the ones he already had.

“Yeah, well ya never know when someone might want to try the light fantastic.” He jokes dryly handing you your newly fashioned bracelet and a larger one for Thor.

“You are considering returning to our world, aren’t you?” You ask softly, stepping a few steps closer.

“I don’t like closing doors.” He responds before pushing pash you gently and leaving you alone in the lab.


	31. Departure

“Are you ready?” You look at Thor, then over to your mirror image.

“It will be a story to tell for ages.” Thor smiles, his cocky demeanor confirming to you that he is ready. You turn to Snow.

“Yeah, I am ready to face the music.” She jokes. You can tell she is nervous her eyes darting to Tony then the door then to her feet.

“The entry can be a little jarring. It helps to close your eyes.” You look to Thor for a moment. “Holding onto someone made it less jarring.” Snow nods to you. 

“No one will be waiting for you on the other end. When you get there, make sure you find Bruce so he can check you over.” Tony adds while turning on the device.

“Tony.” Snow says her tone saying all it needed to say. Toy walks over, wordlessly, giving Snow a tight embrace. “She is confused. I know you want her, but if you don’t love her let her go.”

“Have a safe trip.” Is all Tony replies in turn.

Tony steps back standing next to you. You watch the platform as the two figures disappear. You let the reality of their departure sink in.

“Well, now that that is done,” Tony says like he just closed the cover to a newly finished book. “What should we do next?”

“Tony. Why are you staying?”

“Why not?”

“You have a life back where you came from. There is nothing for you here. You turned away Pepper and Morgan. I don’t understand why you feel the need to stay.”

“I like the food better.”

“Tony, that is not an answer.”

“I don’t know what you want me to say that I haven’t already said.”

“Tony, you told me you came here for her.”

“Plans change.”

“So, what is the plan now then?”

Tony steps closer to you. You take a step back. He sighs. “I think…” Before Tony can finish you see Steve entering the lab.

“Y/N, do you have a minute?” Steve looks between you and Tony. Studying your stances.

“Yes…of course.” You look away from Tony forcing a smile on your face. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to talk to you about moving off the compound.”

“We will talk later.” You say to Tony your eyes locking with his, communicating the intent. You turn, taking Steve’s hand in yours, and walk out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Were you able to complete the scan?”

“Yes sir.”

“Results?”

“Sent to your secure device sir.”

“How many options?”

“One sir.”

Tony sighs, his heart beating slightly faster. His mind running possible scenarios. “Viability of success?”

“84%. Mitigating factors could allow for a higher success rate.”

“Such as manipulation of the target, sir.”

“Good.” Tony runs a hand over his face. “When will we be able to execute?”

“Trajectories are still calculating sir, I should have them in 22 hours.”

“Let me know when they are done.”

“Yes, Boss.” Tony glances around the room one more time before heading to the common room for a drink.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You and Steve get to his room. The two of you have not spoken since you left the lab. You walk inside and head straight to the sofa. You drop down feeling tired after the events of the day. “Well, that’s finally over.” You exhale. Throwing your arms over the back of the sofa sprawling out.

“Tony is still here.”

“And…” you look over at him. He is standing in front of the sofa, arms crossed.

“I think he stayed for a reason.”

“Steve, we talked about this.”

“No, we talked about his obsession with you, and how you don’t return those feelings.”

“There is nothing else to say.”

“So you don’t have anything else you want to share with me?”

“No Steve I don’t. And I don’t like the insinuation.” You feel yourself getting angry.

“Well, I need to know….right now.” He squats down in front of you. “Did you have sex with Tony?”

“Steve…”

“No. Just answer me.”

“Steve…I.” It’s only then that you notice the manilla folder on the coffee table. “What is that?”

Steve looks at the folder, then to the floor. He breathes in deeply. “Do you care for him?”

“Who Tony?” You know who he means. You are just trying to buy yourself a moment. “I have always cared for Tony. Despite his flaws, he is a good friend.”

Steve considers this for a moment. “Do you love him?”

“No.” Your response is almost too quick. To him, it feels like a denial. He is unsure if you are denying him the truth or yourself.

“That,” Steve motions to the file. “Is the medical report.” He pauses a moment. “It from our routine exams.”  
You nod. You remember having them done a few days after you got back. “They are pretty normal except for one thing.” He grabs the report and tosses it at you. “I’ll let you see for yourself.”

You look at him trying to gauge his thoughts, his mood. You are hoping for some answer as to what you are to expect from the file. “Is there something wrong?”

“Just look at the file.” You reach for the file and Steve grabs it, handing it to you. “After tell me what you want to do.” Steve gets up and walks across the room looking out the window onto the water beyond.

You carefully open the file and begin scanning the results. You freeze when your eyes landing on the line that Steve must have been talking about. Your heart begins racing. Fear and anxiety filling you. You look up to Steve, tears filling your eyes. “Steve, is this true?”

“Yes.”


	32. Quandaries and Choices

When the two of you reappear you let go of Thor’s hand. The room is empty, but you expected nothing less. No one knew you would be coming back. You didn’t even know you would be coming back. You move to step down for the platform but notice Thor has not moved.

“Thor.”

“Nothing here is different. Did we make it?”

“Yes.”

“You are not regretting anything?”

You smile at him. “How can I? We just got here.” You joke. After a second you see the panic and uncertainty in his eyes. “You okay?”

Thor seems to jolt back into the present time. “Yes, of course. We are here.”

You study him for a moment. Seeing the apprehension and…disappointment. Your mind begins racing, wondering what is wrong. Then it comes to you. “You thought we wouldn’t make it back? You wanted to…to what to disappear? To die?” You can’t decide if you are angry or heartbroken.

“I…” He turns to face you. “I was not sure what I was expecting.” He admits. “But I am still with you, so I still have the courage to press forward.”

“Good, Great.” You are hesitant to let it go but decide you have bigger battles in the immediate future. One of which is facing your fiancé. “Well, we need to go find James.” You step down and make your way to the door. 

As if on cue the door opens before you can reach for it. You step back to avoid being hit by the door and back right into Thor. You look back at him quickly before your attention is drawn back to the figure in the doorway.

“Y/N, F.R.I.D.A.Y. said there was a disturbance. I should have known it would be you.”

“James.”

James looks over your shoulder to see Thor. “I see you have company.” You suddenly remember that he is there.

“Yes, I…we…” You find yourself suddenly unable to speak.

“I accompanied Y/N by her request.” Thor supplies for you. “We are going to help recover my realm from Loki’s rule.”

“We?” James’ eyebrow cocks while he looks at you. You swallow hard under the scrutiny. Thor senses it, wrapping his arm around you in an offer of support. James takes it a gesture of ownership, his whole demeanor changes. “I see. I guess I should not be surprised. I mean you never could…” James quiets himself. “It doesn’t matter. I am just glad you may finally be happy.”

“James I…” You can’t find the words to tell him how sorry you were to have this turn out so badly.

“Don’t!” He raises a hand to stop you from speaking. “It’s fine. Now we both can be with the people we truly care for.” When James realizes what he’s said. “At least the ones alive.”

You feel a tear falling from your eye. “I saw him.” James looks confused for a second. He looks to Thor and he understands what you are saying.

“Steve?”

“Yes, but he’s different. He’s more like you. You and he, your lives were the exact opposite as they were here.”

“How?”

“There are a lot of differences between the two worlds. In that world, Thor’s realm is gone. Destroyed. Tony is dead, and you.” You pause, unsure how to say it. “You worked for Hydra for decades.”

“I WHAT?” James can’t believe what he is hearing. “You were the winter soldier. But it was more complicated. It was worse.”

“How can it be worse?”

“You tore apart the team. Steve, their Steve, and Tony spit the team apart. You killed Tony’s parents.”

“Wait what?” James looks tot Thor for confirmation. Thor simply nods slightly.

“James look. I really want to talk about all this with you. But I need to get Thor acclimated to this world. There are some differences that need to know before we can go to Asgard.”

“Yeah, of course. You should go to…” Then it is suddenly realized.

“We don’t really have a room here. I mean we have my old quarters, but they are small for two people.”

“You should take Tony’s room. It is by far the biggest here and you know where everything I there.” James says pointedly. You don’t miss the implication but ignore it.

“I think that will work.” You move past James, pulling Thor with you. James stands his ground making Thor step around him.

“I’ll let the other know you’re back.” James mumbles as the two of you leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

You look back down at the test results. You cannot process what they are saying. “Steve…I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything. It's written all over your face.”

“Steve, I…It was one time. Right before we came here. I don’t even know how it happened.”

“I don’t need the details!”

“I can’t believe it. I don’t believe….” You lose your thoughts when Steve kicks the coffee table hard scattering the table across the room.

“I knew…I don’t know why, but I told him,” Steve says more to himself than to you.

“Steve, I am here. I want to be with you.”

“I don't know how I feel.” Steve’s voice is so broken it tears your heart out. He chuckles shaking his head. “A week ago, I would have told anyone I loved you and…” He pauses pulling a small black ring box from his pocket. He rolls it in his hand. Your eye fills with tears as the lock onto the small box. “But now, I can’t look at you without feeling hurt and   
betrayed.”

A long silence fills the room. You want to plead with him, tell him you love him and that what you did was a mistake. But how can you say that now? Now that you know what the results of that morning might be? Instead, you simply wait and pray, that he will give you a glimmer of hope to hold onto.

“Y/N… I need time.” He stands pulling you from your dead stare. “I need to process all of this.” You watch him, unsure what else you can say, as he leaves. At the sound of the door closing Your dissolve into sobbing tears.


	33. Chapter 33

When you get to Tony’s room, he is dripping wet when answers the door in only a towel. You run your eyes over him before quickly diverting them to over his shoulder. “Tony, can we talk?”

“Did you get sick of the Captain already?” Tony smiles broadly stepping aside for you to come in. You step inside slowly, knowing what you need to do. You ignore his snide comment and move over to the nearest surface, his bed and drop down on to it. 

No, Tony. But I think he is done with me.”

Tony tries hard to keep his smile inside. He walks over sitting next to you. He gently places his hand on your knee. “What happened?”

You look down at the file in your hand, sigh deeply, then hand it to him. “This.”

He takes the file from you and opens it reading the contents. After a few seconds, you see the reaction on his face. He tries to hide it but it’s a mixture of shock, fear, and excitement. “Is this…does this mean?” He looks up from the file to you.

“I don’t know for sure what it means yet.” You are curt with him then you mean to be.

“Y/N, are you?” His eyes search yours.

“Yes. It appears I am.”

“When?”

“They think I’m about 3 weeks.”

“That means.” Tony turns to you, studying you closely.

“It’s possible.”

“Does Steve know?” Tony’s voice softening at your obvious disquiet demeanor. Instead of answering you break into tears. Tony immediately moves to comfort you. “Shhhh…I’m here.” You pull him closers sobbing into his arms.

“Steve…. He …. We’re …He left me.” You get out between sobs. Tony continues to comfort you, smoothing your hair with one hand while the other pressing against your lower back.

“I’m not going anywhere.” He says to you. You cling to him harder, your tears wetting his skin. After a few moments, you feel yourself calming, and your body tires from the emotional exertion. You can feel yourself just melt into his arms.

“I’m tired.” You admit.

“Here, lay down.” He lets you go and helps you slide up on to his bed. You easily fall into a deep sleep. The hints of Tony filling your senses, comforting you in a way you never expected it to. You let the comforts of your surrounding wash over you. After a moment you feel the bed dip. Opening your eyes you see Tony laying next to you. “Come here.” You hesitate for a second before sliding over and cuddle into his chest. His arms coming around you. After a few seconds, you are asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“James was once your lover?” Thor asks though it seems more of a statement than a question.

“Yes…but we never really worked.” You add after a moment thought. “He really cared more about Natasha then he ever would about me.”

“Well, then he is a fool. You are an enchanting, intelligent woman. It is his loss, not yours.”

You smile at Thor. “Thank you.” You open the door to Tony’s room. “Here we are.” You call over your shoulder as you step inside. Thor follows behind you looking over the expansive room. 

“You used to share this room with Tony?” He asks you. You are caught off guard from his question.

“Well…not exactly. We were intimate in the past, but I maintained my own room.”

“Did you care for him?”

“I think I did in my own way.”

Thor walks around the room for a moment. You can see that he is thinking about something. After a few moments of silence, you are about to speak, to say something to break the heavy silence, but he starts instead. “You mourn him, Steve. You morn his passing, and so you try to compensate with other men.” You are about to justify yourself when he continues. He turns to you and speaks. “But after seeing him. After seeing Steve, you feel closure from losing him.”

“I do.” You reply simply.

“Good, I need you all to myself.” He turns to you smiling brightly. You feel drawn into the smile and walk over to him.

“Well, you are here now and stuck with me.” You kid back at him, wrapping your arms around him. He moves in quickly capturing your lips with a kiss. You respond in kind. His kiss melting you into his arms. You feel him lifting you carrying you across the room to the bed. You feel the bed hitting your back as he lays gently upon you. You relax into his and what is to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Steve, you are overreacting.”

“No, I am not! She is pregnant!”

“And you what never had sex with her?”

“Buck…”

“Well, Steve it’s true. You cannot deny that the baby may be yours.”

“And it could be his.”

“Steve, you said it yourself, they were together only once.”

“Yes…”

“And I know you. You can’t keep your hands off her.”

Steve simply glares at Bucky. “I am not a fucking rabbit.”

Bucky chuckles. “No…You’re a super-soldier. I know what the serum does to the human body.” Steve looks away. “I know your libido does allow for her to get much rest at night.”

“Bucky!”

“Hey, punk. I know that you are more pissed about the who then the what of the situation.” Bucky adds then turns to pour more alcohol into his glass.

“Bucky it’s not that, I just I don’t know if I can trust her. Not after this.” Steve trails off and an uncomfortable silence encompassed Steve. He shifts uncomfortably as he considers what his best friend is telling him.

“You considered it yourself.” Bucky reminds him.

“Considered what?” Steve feints ignorance. Bucky cocks an eyebrow at him.

“Don’t make me say it.”

“I didn’t.” Steve protests.

“But you wanted to.” Bucky counters.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“IT does. Y/N has always been a dame who acts first and thinks later. You are the one who thinks for weeks before acting. You cannot blame her for being who she is. She is still the girl you fell for, regardless of her nature.”

“Bucky…”

“Steve, she regrets it. She told you as much. And you also know full and well that that baby she is carrying is most likely yours. And if it isn’t. If it really is   
Tony’s baby, does it change how you feel about her?”

Steve looks down and the undrunk glass in his hands. The amber liquid sloshing in his glass. “I don’t know…”

“Well…” Bucky leans forward putting his glass down on the coffee table. “I am going to call it a night.” He announces as he gets up. “Just don’t push her away with making sure you know what you are doing.”


	34. Chapter 34

“You ever think about what Snow and Thor are doing?” You say to Tony. Snuggling closer to him.

“Hopefully, the same thing we are,” Tony whispers before kissing the top of your head. His arms pulling you closer. You smile then your stomach grumbles.

“I’m hungry.” You shift slightly, moving to pull away.

Tony chuckles softly. “Way to ruin the mood.”

“Hey! I’m eating for two!”

“Yeah… I’m not sure that excuse quite applies yet.” Tony jokes. “I don’t think the little one is absorbing more than a gram a day.”

“Well, it feels like it's eating a fridge.” You groan, rolling out of bed. “I’m taking a shower. Can you get me some food pleaasse?” You pout. Tony smiles.

“This is a one-time deal. I don’t respond to pouting. But I like the idea of keeping you here in my room for a while longer.” You smile and plod off to the bathroom stopping briefly to grab a t-shirt from one of Tony’s drawers.

Tony waits to hear the shower start before he leaves the room. Once in the elevator heading to the main living level he speaks. “F.R.I.D.A.Y., you have anything for me?”

“Yes, Boss.”

“And…?”

“I now have a 98% probability.”

“Shit…really?”

“Yes sir. Should I enact the protocols?”

“Not right now, but prep for this afternoon. I have a date for brunch.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Tony steps out to hear a very animated discussion in the kitchen area. Rolling his eyes he walks into the room. “Why can’t you people adjust. I know Earth is not your ‘home’ or native planet, but decorum is still expected.” Groot turns to look at Tony, a just of water in his hands. The fridge door is open and since he cannot see a head, so he assumes Rocket is rummaging through it. At the bar, Quill and Sam were arguing over what raccoons eat.

“Mr. Stark. Settle this, will you? A raccoon eats pretty much anything meat or vegetable.” Quill starts.

“No…They are predominately meat…”

“Not interested.” Tony interrupts them. Then he begins humming. Walking over to the fridge his suspicions confirmed. “Hey, Rachet.”

“Rocket…it’s rocket…hey where are your eggs?”

“Right here.” Tony hands eggs to the raccoon. The kindness earning a look from Peter and Sam. Tony continues gathering fruit for a breakfast platter for you. Checking to make sure Rocket is gone he kicks the door closed before moving over in front of the two men dropping the assortment of fruit down. He retrieves a knife from the drawer and slides over a cutting board. He grabs a grapefruit and is about to begin chopping when e realizes the only sound in the room is his own humming. He looks up to see both Sam and Peter staring at him. “Yes?”

“You’re in a really good mood?” Sam says testing the waters.

“I am,” Tony says then begins preparing your fruit.

“What gives?” Peter asks. Tony ignores him. Turing to get some bowls for the fruit and a tray.

“Tony, should we be worried?” Sam asks. Tony looks up then resumes chopping. Sam is about to press him further when they hear another person enter the room. Sam turns to see Steve entering the room. It is obvious that Steve has not been sleeping and has just come back from a run. “Steve…do you know what is going on with Tony?”

Steve stops moving his eyes locking in on Tony. Looking down at what he is doing then back up to Tony who is now looking at him. “She was with you last night.”

“Yes.”

Sam’s confusion is obvious in his voice. “Who was with who?”

“Y/N…she’s pregnant.”

“Congr….” Peter begins…but then stops as he sees the expressions on everyone’s faces and feels the tension thickening in the room. “Oh…”

“Steve…” Sam begins.

“Tell her we need to talk,” Steve says to Tony.

“Haven’t you said enough?” Tony replies continuing to chop some more breakfast fruits for you.

“I may have said some things I didn’t mean.”

“NO, I think you said exactly what you mean.”

“Tony…” Steve’s voice gets darker. “I am trying to be civil here.”

“No. You are being a caveman pounding on your chest and trying to assert your dominance over her. Well, that’s not going to happen. You screwed up!” Tony Stabs his knife into the board hard. Sam and Peter flinch. “You threw her out when she needed you most, and she came to me. TO ME. I am not going to send her back to you. I AM NOT a moron. I know what I have, and I am not going to lose her.”

“Tony. Don’t test me.”

Tony ignores him. Picking up the tray loaded with various cubed fruits and vegetables. “If you all will excuse me, I promised a lady some breakfast in bed.” He walks out of the room. Behind him, he hears a loud crash as Steve throws the cutting board across the kitchen.


	35. Chapter 35

“Steve…” Sam’s voice is low and calm. Peter continues watching noncommittal, munching on his breakfast cereal. Ever since he came to this planet, he has never found himself lacking for entertainment.

“Sam! Don’t!”

“Steve… destroying the kitchen is not going to fix anything.”

Steve stops and looks around for a moment. His head drops when he sees the pasties splattered on the wall above the shattered glass that was the display. He sighs. “Sam, I never…this is…” Steve struggles to find the words.

“She is hard to handle?” Peter offers before moving to deposit his dishes into the sink.

Steve chuckles. “I guess you could say that. We had a rocky start, but I thought we were in a good place.” Steve offers.

“Yeah, I understand that Gamora and I. When we met, she hated me. Then we made the decision to work together. It was a while before she softened to me.” Peter’s voice softening as he thinks back to when Gamora was with him. “But she always challenged me, and we had our rough spots.”

“Did she ever leave you?”

“No… no but there was a time when…” Peter’s expression hardens. “She didn’t exactly keep her eyes from wandering. I was so sure I was going to lose her.” Peter quiets and turns away. “Then I did.”

“She left you?” Steve feels his hope for a solution disappear.

“No, he killed her,” Peter responds. “I have another chance with her though. Thanks to that big purple dick I have another her.” Peter sighs. “And that’s what I mean. I am repeating the same dance. She, the new her, hates me. But I can see it in her eyes. The same girl I love and the girl that loves me. I just need to wait and let her find herself again, find me.”

“But how? Is she even here?”

“No…no she is not…but she is with her sister.”

“Then how? When you are not even there?”

“I am.” Peter smiles wide and points to his heart. “Here and Here.” He finishes by pointing at his head. “Where it matters most.”

“So I should just sit and wait for her to realize she loves me?”

“Does she?” Peter asks in an aside. Looking through drawers for something.

“I like to think so…” Steve looks to Sam. Sam gives him a single nod.

“Peter’s right, mostly,” Sam says. “Show her what she’s missing. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that.”

Steve scoffs. “Yeah, last time I thought that I ended up here.”

“But it’s different now.” Sam corrects. “Here she can see you.”

Steve quirks an eyebrow. “You want me to make her jealous?”

Peter chuckles and tosses a wet towel at him. “That always worked with me,” Peter says. Steve catches the rag then looks down at the mess.

“Thanks.” Steve begins cleaning up the pastries. Peter grabs a broom and dustpan and begins to pick up the broken glass.

“No problem bro. I feel your pain.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I have food and I have F.R.I.D.A.Y is queuing up some movies,” Tony announces as he enters his bedroom. You are nowhere to be found. “Y/N?” He sets the tray down and checks the bathroom.

“I’m here.” You say coming from his closet. “I hope you don’t mind.” You gesture to the oversized t-shirt and loose-fitting sweatpants. “I haven’t gotten any clothes yet. From my…our old room.” The pain in your voice is obvious to Tony.

“Nah, honestly they aren’t really my clothes either.” He smirks as you blush. You realize he is right in away.

“So are you trying to keep me locked away in your room now?” you joke as you drop onto the bet pulling the tray of food over.

“Would it be so bad if I was?” He slides onto the bed beside you.

“I think I like being pampered, but I need my freedom too.”

“Ahh fine!” Tony fakes surrender. “Run free little bird.”

You can’t help the laughter that erupts from you. After a moment you ask him. “So are we gonna watch movies or are you my entertainment?”

“Do you want me to be?” Tony smiles mischievously.

“Tony…”

“Fine! Fine…” He pretends to be hurt but you know he loves the games. You sniggle into him as the movie begins.

He reaches over for a piece of melon and you tap his hand playfully. “Eww…hands.” You scold him handing him a fork.

“You sure didn’t mind my hands last night.” Tony jokes taking the fork.

“Tony!” He quiets you with a brief kiss before replacing your lips with a piece of melon. You roll your eyes and turn to the movie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outside the door Steve stands, He can hear the giggling inside and then you say Tony’s name. The longer he stands there the whiter his knuckles turn. After he can no longer stand to torture himself, he leaves. He knows he needs to listen to Sam and Peter but is not sure how not yet.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for NOTHING!!!!!

“Boss, your project is ready.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. announces to a sleeping Tony. Tony moans looking over to see you curled into his arm. He slides out from under you carefully. He slowly moves from the room closing the door carefully. Once he is in the hall and sure not to wake you, he speaks. “We need to work on your do not disturb protocols.”

“You told me to tell you immediately when I had accomplished your design.”

“Yes, but I also do not want Y/N to know about it.”

“Yes sir.” Tony can hear F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s judgmental tone. He sighs running his hand over his face.

“Is there a time window we are limited to?”

“No sir, you can depart anytime.”

Tony is about to respond when he is interrupted but a very sarcastic and deep titter. Tony spins to see Steve standing behind him. “You are unbelievable” Steve tone displaying his disbelief. “You’re leaving?”

“No…”

“I just heard F.R.I.D.A.Y. say you can leave anytime. Don’t lie to me!” His voice rising in anger. “You come here, tear my life to pieces, take Y/N from me, then you just what? Walk away?” Steve steps closer, his frame shadowing Tony. “You are unbelievable.”

“I…” Tony tries to defend himself but then decides against it. “Yes. Well, if you’ll excuse me I have somewhere to be.” He says moving around Steve. Steve watches him leave, anger boiling inside of him.

When Tony disappears into the elevator Steve turns and walks to Tony’s room. He knocks softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“If something goes sideways on this, I want you to make sure Y/N gets this.” Tony places a letter on his desk in the lab.

“Of course boss.” Tony works in a few moments of silence. “Boss, I think you should tell Y/N what you are doing. I think she should know.”

“Yeah well…no one asked what you think.” Tony snaps. Slamming down his bracelet in frustration. He sighs deeply, “I am ready.”

“Of course boss.” Tony slap on the bracelet, activates the suit, and then disappears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You had woke to an empty bed and just assumed Tony has gotten up for work early. He has been spending a lot of time the last few days getting acquainted with the business. With Tony gone you’d been left to your own devices for most of the day. Since your relationship with Steve imploded everyone has been avoiding you, well except Drax. You had run into him in the gym.

“I am told you are not with the tin man and not the Captain. This puzzles me.” He said to you when you stepped into the room.

“Yes, Steve and I are not longer a couple.” You learned long ago to be as plain as possible when speaking to him.

“But why would you trade the group’s leader for a man who hides inside a metal encasement?”

“I didn’t. Steve rejected me.” You can feel the pain of this conversation sinking in and wanting to scream. You turn to leave when Drax speaks again.

“If he no longer desires you then why is he angry that you are no longer his?”

“What?” This has your attention.

“The Captain has spoken several times of destroying the tin man. He blames him for your discord. Peter has told me the Captain still has affection for you.”

“Thank you, Drax.” You try to smile, but you are now more hurt and confused by the situation than ever.

“You humans are so confusing,” Drax responds shaking his head and leaves you to your workout.

You keep rolling the conversation around in your mind while you are showering. Was Drax right? Did Steve really want you back? Or did he just have residual feelings? You wrap a towel around yourself and give yourself a hard look in the mirror. “You, my dear, need to get your head straight!” you tell yourself. You have had your heart in two cams for too long. You sigh, then hear a knock on the door.

You head to the door opening it to find Steve.

“Um…Y/N…” Steve begins but when he looks up and sees you in a towel dripping, he forgets what he was saying.

“Steve.” You say coldly, defenses rising instantly. “You find some new ideas to demean me with?"

“Y/N…I…” You sigh. Stepping aside you motion for him to come in. When he begins to move forward you move into the room. Walking over to the dresser to gather some clothes.   
Steve watches you. When you bend down to grab leggings out of the bottom drawer you hear him drop something then clear his throat. You spin around to see a picture of you and Tony on the floor.

“That was from before.” You offer in way of explanation.

“I know I remember.” He says softly.

“Steve…”

“Y/N. I need to talk to you.”

“I need to talk to you too.”

“You go first.”

“Not you go first.”

Steve smirks. “You know a lady has the right to go first.”

“Yeah well, I’ll remember that when I see one.” You smile at him.

“Fine.” Steve surrenders. “I saw Tony in the hall.”

“And?”

“I overheard him talking to F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

“Steve, he talks to F.R.I.D.A.Y. all the time. She is like his subconscious at this point.”

“He was making plans to leave.”

“He travels for business Steve.” You say trying to hide your uneasiness. Tony did not tell you he was planning to travel for business.

“Y/N, I can see it on your face.”

“You can’t see anything.” You try to smile but your mind is running with ideas of why Tony is planning a trip without telling you. You suddenly feel Steve’s warmth on your skin and realize he is really close to you.

“Y/N, we were together for almost 8 years. I think I know you.”

“Yeah, I guess you do.” You smile genuinely this time. “Steve…I…” Your heart is reaching out to him. You want to reach for him pull him into you.

“I think Tony is up to something,” Steve says breaking the spell.

“Steve. Is that why you came here? TO try to get me angry with Tony?” You can feel your defenses rising.

“Y/N. I didn’t come here to fight. I just thought you should know he was leaving. I am pretty sure it was not just a plane trip either.”

“What are you saying.?” Your fears and insecurities making your soft voice crack.

Steve reaches out his hand cupping your face. He gently tips your chin, so your eyes meet his. “I am saying that I am NEVER going to leave you, no matter what happens.”   
You study his eyes, his face for a moment. “Steve…” you are about to ask him what he means when he captures your lips with his. Instantly you melt into the kiss. Your arms going around him, pulling him closer. You need him to know you still love him. You need to convey to him that you will always love him. One of Steve’s arms wraps around your waist and pulls you in tight. His other hand slides down your side. You feel the towel drop and for a second you hesitate.

“Steve…”

“Y/N…He left you.” Your mind jumps onto Tony.

“Steve! OMG…” You pull away from him. And quickly put a t-shirt on. “I can’t keep doing this.” You begin to panic.

“Y/N, I know I pushed you away. But I was angry and hurt. I was wrong.” Steve sighs taking a step towards you, but you step back. He stops, hurt spreading across his face. “I want to make this right. I want to be there for you and our baby.”

“Steve, we’re not even sure. You said.”

“I know but I was a fool.” He moves forward and this time you stay still. Steve kisses you again, this time he picks you up carrying you over to the bed. He lays you on it as he settles over you. His kisses trailing down your neck as you run your hands over his back. You can feel his muscles flexing as his hands move over you. “Steve…” Your voice is just above a breathy whisper then turns to a moan when Steve’s hand squeezes your breast slightly.

“Miss Y/N, Tony would like you to meet him in the labs.” F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupts the two of you.

You and Steve freeze. Steve studies your face and you look into his eyes. “Steve, I…”

“It’s ok, I understand.” Steve moves to get up helping you. You get dressed and Steve follows as you head to the labs.

When you are outside the doors you turn to Steve. “Steve, I do still love you. I just need to. I need to figure out what all of this is. Everything that is going on.”

“I know.” Steve kisses you on the forehead. Then whispers against it. “I am not pushing you away again.” He kisses your nose. “I am not leaving you again.” He kisses you deeply. You lose yourself in until you hear a voice that is not Tony’s.

“Steve?” the female voice calls out. Surprise obvious along with disappointment?

Steve all but jumps away from you. While you are still processing the feelings of the kiss and his words. He spins toward the sound of the voice. “Peggy?”


	37. Chapter 37

You feel Steve pull away from you. You turn to see a woman standing in the doorway a woman who looks remarkably like Peggy. ‘IT IS PEGGY!’ your mind screams at you. “Steve?” your voice barely above a whisper. He looks at you and you can see that he is struggling. Torn between you and Peggy.

“Y/N…” Steve’s tone is more apologetic as he moves further away from you. Your heart sinks.

“Steve, who is this?” Peggy asks. Her voice sounds pleasantly polite, but you can feel the edge in it.

You are about to put out a hand to shake it and greet her when Tony appears next to you from out of nowhere. “This is Y/N. I told you about her.”   
Tony wraps his arm around your waist and pulls you into him tightly. Peggy cocks an eyebrow at you.

“Oh.” She glances between the three of you before settling back onto you. Her gaze, cold. “Tony has told me a lot about you. I hear congratulations are in order.” She forces herself to smile. “You and Tony must be very excited.”

“Well….” You are about to tell her you don’t think Tony is the father when Tony speaks up.

“We are.” He smiles broadly. Steve begins shifting from foot to foot. You know he wants to say something but is keeping quiet because of Peggy.

“Steve?” Peggy redirects the conversation. “You seem uncomfortable. Did Tony not tell you he was bringing me?” He looks to Tony then pointedly but firefly at you before smiling brightly at Steve. “I thought you’d be happy to see me after all this time.” She steps toward Steve and he freezes. You watch carefully as she gently puts her hand on Steve’s chest. “Maybe we should take some time and…catch up.” She looks up at him hopeful.

Steve looks at you then down to where Tony’s arm is still tightly wrapped around your waist. He sighs. Looking back to Peggy, “Yeah, I guess we need to talk.” Steve turns to leave and Peggy slides her arm around his and walks away.

You watch Steve and Peggy walk to the elevators. When the elevator doors open, she steps inside. Steve looks at you one more time. He looks like he wants to apologize, instead of signaling your acceptance you slam the door to the lab shut.

You spin on Tony. Anger rolling off of you. “WHAT were you thinking?”

“I have no idea…”

“TONY!” You slam your hand down on the tabletop. “Of all the conniving, sneaky, why did you?”

“You think I don’t see it?”

“Tony don’t change the subject.”

“You still love Steve!” Tony blurts out. You are stunned into silence. “And he still loves you, I can tell.”

“Tony…” You want to say something but are unsure what to say exactly.

“I thought if she was here…maybe Steve would. Maybe you would…”

“Tony, you can’t force my feelings. I told you the night I came to your door that I couldn’t’ promise anything. I just needed time.”

“And I told you I’d never stop trying.”

“I know. But Tony, this…Peggy.” You pause making sure he is hearing you. When his eyes meet yours you continue. “Peggy can’t stay here. She was   
never supposed to be here, not in any timeline similar to ours.”

“But…”

“Tony… you know I’m right.”

“What if Steve…”

“Steve won’t leave if I am having his baby. You know that.”

“Y/N…”

“Tony, you can’t push this.” You smile through the hurt then walk away leaving Tony to watch you and wonder if he screwed up even more than before.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Steve.” Peggy turns to face Steve as he shuts the door to his room behind him. “Tony assured me you would want to see me.

“Peggy, I…I am happy to see you it’s just been so long.”

“Do you love her?”

“Who?” Steve asks, but he already knows who she’s talking about.

“Steve, really?” She frowns and tilts her head in disapproval. “Your face was attached to hers just a few moments ago.”

“Peggy, I…I didn’t”

“You are still so awkward around women.” She smiles. “Somethings never change do they?” She smiles wide. 

“I thought you were gone.”

“I thought you were gone too.”

“So, did you see anyone? Since I…” Steve stuffs his hands in his pockets.

“I was…his name was Daniel Sousa. We were…nothing it no longer matters.”

“I just thought maybe…” Steve suddenly feels very uncomfortable.

“Thought what exactly.”

“Well that you and Howard.”

“Steve! Honestly!”

“Peggy! What should I think?”

“Steve…” Peggy sighs then begins fiddling with his shirt. “Can we just start over?”

“Peggy. I don’t think we.” Steve begins slowly trying to maintain his calm.

“It is quite different here. The technology is so foreign.”

“Peggy, this cannot just pick up where we left it. My life is different now. I am different now.” He says louder and more sternly than he intended.

“Oh. I see. I will have Tony show me to a spare room.” Peggy says. She moves to the door. She pauses with her hand on the knob before turning back to Steve. “I can see what she sees in Tony. He is just as charming and intelligent as Howard. Maybe even more so.” She opens the door closing it behind her.

When she is sure she is alone in the hallway she pulls out a piece of paper from her pocket and reads the name on the paper. She commits the name to memory before tearing it to pieces before tossing it into the nearby trash.


	38. Chapter 38

You manage to hold yourself together long enough to make it into your room. Once the door is safely closed you break. Tears wetting your cheeks as you collapse, your backsliding down against the door. You aren’t sure how long you were there. You must have cried yourself asleep. Emotions draining you.

When you wake it is to a soft knock on the door. You force yourself up and turn to the door. There is another knock, slightly louder this time. You sigh then answer the door.

“Hey Doll.” Bucky is standing on the other side. You look from him to the space behind him and see no one. You stick your head out checking the hall. There is no one there. “I’m alone.”

“I see that.” Your reply is curt but soft. You move back inside leaving the door open. Bucky hesitates for a moment before stepping inside.

“I saw her.”

“Yeah.” Your heart sinks. This is the last thing you want to talk about. “Tony thinks Steve…” You break into fresh tears. You blame yourself for this. You lead Tony on. You screwed everything up with Steve. Tony is a determined man. You should have known he would do something like this.

“Hey.” You feel Bucky’s hand on your shoulder. You look up at him. His image blurry through your tears. “If it helps, she has a separate room.” You cry harder, knowing she has a room means she is staying here. “Hey, hey,” He pulls you in for a hug. “That was supposed to help.”

“She’s staying?” You manage to ask. You slow your crying then begin to sniffle a bit. “Does he…”

“Don’t.” Bucky holds you back at arm’s length.

“Don’t what?” You wipe your eyes.

“Don’t think Steve is choosing her.”

“He will. Bucky, it’s Peggy!”

“Yes, it’s his past.” Bucky slides his hands down your arms. He takes your hands in his. “Peggy was for the man before. The one who needed war and conflict to survive.” He releases one of your hands and reaches up tipping your head up to make your eyes meet his. “You are his future.”

“I don’t feel like it.” You admit looking away, fresh tears welling up in your eyes.

“Y/N.” Bucky thinks for a moment, then changes gears. “What is going on with you and Tony?”

“I…I don’t know!” You turn away from Bucky.

“Doll, you need to figure out what you are doing. How is Steve supposed to know what you want when you don’t?”

“I don’t know.” You drop down onto your bed. “I wanted Steve but he pushed me away.”

“He was angry. Can you blame him?”

“No.”

“So why Tony?”

“I don’t know. He was there…and I do care about him. And the baby…”

“Do you really think the baby is his?”

“No…”

“Did you tell Steve?”

“He…we…” You begin feeling flustered and this makes you angry. “He pushed me away!” you blurt out and Bucky chuckles, shaking his head.

“Well, if you know that.”

“I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!”

“Whoa!” 

“I’m sorry. It’s just with Peggy here. I think that I am no longer on Steve’s radar.”

Bucky shifts. You notice but are unsure if he’s uncomfortable because of you, or because of the mention of Peggy.

“Bucky, how do you feel about Peggy being here?”

He snorts laughs. “That’s a loaded question.”

“Don’t tell me you are in love with her too.”

This makes him laugh. “She is a looker but no.” He sobers his expression before looking over to you. “I. Well, I don’t trust her.”

“What? Why?”

“I am not sure, not yet. But I’ve been an assassin for years. I’ve been around some shady people over the years. They all had this…”

“Vibe?” You offer.

“Yeah, vibe. They made me feel uneasy like I knew just being in their presence that I knew they were bad.” Bucky pauses as I lost in thought.

“And…”

“I go that from Peggy.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I don’t know how, but she is different from the Peggy we knew back in the day.”

“Did you tell Steve?”

“I tried to but he didn’t want to talk about her.”

“I understand.” You don’t really want t talk about her either.

“Y/N, I don’t like it.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing right now, just keep your eyes open. And try to keep clear of Peggy. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Thanks, Bucky.” You smile.

“Yeah, I can’t have anything happen to the punk’s best girl.”

“Bucky, I’m not.”

“No, but you were and will be again.” He smiles. “In his heart, you are and will always be.”

“Sure.” You agree but you don’t believe it.

“I guess I should go. I don’t need to cause you any more issues.” You can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah, I guess I kinda gave myself a rep now, didn’t I?”

“No doll, you’re good.” He smiles getting up and walking to your door. You follow him. Before he opens the door, he turns to you. “Steve loves you. Just be patient.” He opens the door to leave. He steps into the hall and you stop him.

“Bucky.” You grab his hand. He turns to face you. “Thank you, I needed this.” He leans in kissing your forehead.

“I’m glad. Anytime doll.” He smiles sweetly at you and walks away slowly. You let go of his hand and step back into your room. Feeling a bit better about where things are with you and Steve.

Steve is at the end of the hall around the corner. He was just about to come to talk to you about Peggy when he saw James coming out of your room. He watches silently, his heart sinking. He is not sure what is going on but cannot help the sense of betrayal he is feeling. When he sees James kiss your forehead that is all he can take. Then turns away and walks to Peggy’s room. He knocks on the door. When Peggy answers he pushes past her and into the room. She smiles, closing the door behind him.


	39. Chapter 39

“Peggy. Why did you come here?” Steve asks. He storms in pacing around the room.

“Steve. Do I really need to answer that?” She smiles.

“Here Peggy. Here in this world?” He spins on her. “The Steve you left behind is not me. You do know this right?”

“Of course, Steve. I am not an imbecile. But you are essentially the same person, as am I. We are only products of different environments.”

“I can’t wrap my head around there being more than one me.” Steve sighs. He paces a few more times dropping down onto the bed. “And your me…you loved him?”

“I did.”

“And he died?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“You…He…” She sighs looking down at her hands. She quickly tries to remember what Tony told her. “He went into the ice after taking out the head of Hydra.”

Steve nods. “That is the same thing that happened to me.”

“I know, Tony told me.” She sits down next to him. “Steve you’ve been through so much.” She says sweetly, taking his hand in hers. “You deserve happiness after everything that has happened to you.” She leans in closer.

“Peggy.” Steve pulls away. “I lost you. A few years back you died. I moved on.”

“Yes, Steve I saw. I met her.”

“It’s complicated.”

“Tony said as much.”

“Tony says a lot.”

“He was just trying to help me understand what was going on with you before I tried to reenter your world.”

“Why did you come?”

“Steve…”

“Peggy, you left your world and jump realities and into the future on top of that. Don’t tell me it was to be with me. You could have stayed in your own world and done that.”

“I thought…Tony said.”

“I don’t care what TONY said!” Steve stands abruptly. “Why in the hell do you even listen to Tony? You don’t even know him!”

“He is Howard’s son!”

“Yes…of course! Howard! And since he is part Howard, he has to be perfect, right?”

“Steven!”

“Peggy, I just cannot deal with this right now. You obviously are not in the mood to give me a straight answer.” He begins walking over to the door.

“Steve, what is really bothering you?”

“You, Y/N, Tony, Bucky no one is even remotely like they are supposed to be. Everyone is sneaking around, and no one is the same. I wish everyone just stayed where they   
belonged!” Steve finishes slamming the door shut behind him.

Peggy waits for a few minutes after he leaves before she takes out her phone and dials a number.

“The plan is not going accordingly.”

“Explain.” The voice on the other end of the line replies.

“The subject is hesitant and resistant.”

“Try harder.”

“If I push more I will alienate him.”

“There is a second option.”

“I do not like that option.”

“WE are not concerned about what you like. You have orders.”

“I will continue working with our main target.”

“You have one more week then we will move onto our alternate plan.”

“Understood.” Peggy ends the call. She stares at the phone for a moment then stuffs the phone back into her pocket. She stands smooths down her clothes and heads off to find   
Tony. She is going to need his help if she is going to get this done.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“Boss.”

“What?”

“Miss. Carter is outside.”

“Huh…ok let her in,” Tony commands while shutting down his research. He turns to see Peggy stepping inside the door. He was sure she’d still be catching up with Steve.

“Tony, we have run into a snare with Steve and that girl.”

Tony raises an eyebrow. “Well, he isn’t going to drop her overnight,” Tony answers her returning to tinkering with a new idea for a baby monitor.

“Tony, this is not a joking matter.”

“You have to give this time.” Tony sighs deeply, knowing he doesn’t want to wait much longer either. “Y/N is not exactly happy with me for pulling you here. She is pregnant and so everything seems to be pissing her off. Just give it time. Steve is not exactly the suavest man in the world. He’ll piss her off again and that will be when we make our move.”

“Y/N is pregnant?”

“Yes.”

“Is the baby Steve’s?”

“Or mine?”

“Yours?”

“Yes…”

“Then why is she…?”

“I have no idea why she is still with Steve.” Tony preemptively answers her. “They broke up, she came to me but the day I brought you here they…I don’t know what happened.” Tony tries to figure it out as he talks. “We were doing good before now.”

“Tony, we will fix this. Tell me more about her.” Peggy says sweetly, the wheels in her mind turning. This new information could be exactly what she needs to fulfill her job and keep Steve for herself.

Tony gives her a side look. “Just stay away from her. I can handle her.”

“I was just thinking a little girl time. Maybe share some stories, about Steve. Show her how wonderful Steve was back in the ’40s.”

“You want to take time and convince her that Steve should be with you.” Tony points out.

“I want her to see how perfect her life would be with you,” Peggy replies with a sly smile.

“You had better not screw this up!” Tony is not sure if he likes this idea. Something about Peggy is off-putting to him. But this is Peggy, the girl who won Steve’s heart. His only chance at getting you to himself, so he is overlooking the gnawing feeling in his stomach that something is off.

“Tony, I’ve got this under control.”

“I can't lose her, and you better not hurt her.”

“Tony, trust me.” Her sugary tone making Tony feel even more on edge.

“Just focus on Steve, leave Y/N to me.”

“Whatever you say, Tony.” 

Tony watches Peggy leave. Once she is gone Tony makes sure she is out of earshot. “F.R.I.D.A.Y, keep an eye on Miss. Carter. Full surveillance.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Alert me anytime she is near Y/N. I don’t trust her around Y/N.”

“Of course Boss.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Peggy turns leaving the room. Once she gets into the hall, she dials her phone again. “We have a change of plans. WE need to meet.”

"Meeting is highly irregular."

"These are extenuating circumstances."

"Explain."

"There is a child in play."

"IS the child a candidate?"

"It is believed highly probable."

"Meeting may compromise your standing."

"I believe the circumstances justify the risk."

"We will contact you shortly with information."

"Understood." Peggy hangs up and quickly scurries off to her room. She needs to prepare, the timeline for extraction has just moved up considerably.


	40. Chapter 40

You knock on the door, tapping your finger against your thigh. You have been putting this off, but you know you need to have this talk, especially after everything that has happened. You raise your hand and are about to knock again when the door opens.

“Y/N.” There is a hint of surprise in his voice. “I…what do you need?”

“Can we talk?” You try to be assertive, but the insecure girl inside comes out at that moment. The same girl that you were when you and Steve first met.

“I thought you would be busy,” Steve mumbles while stepping aside for you to enter. He gestures grandly with his arm as you walk in past him.

“Why would I be busy?”

“I just thought maybe you and Bucky?”

“Me and…” You suddenly realize he must have seen Bucky leaving your apartment. “Steve, he came by to talk to me about you. About you and Peggy.”

“Y/N, there is no ‘Me and Peggy’.” Steve sighs.

You turn to him once you get into the center of the room not sure if you should sit on the sofa or stand. You opt to stay standing.

“But…she is here.” You are unsure what to say.

“Yes, she is here, and at first I was unsure how to react. I mean she was my first love.”

“First?”

Steve holds his hand up to you as he gets closer. “But that was 70 years ago.” He gently takes your hand. “I am a different person now. I’ve changed, grown and I think that she has changed too.:

“Steve. She came all this way.”

“Yes, she did. And the Peggy I know would not risk jeopardizing history for her own gains.”

“Steve, she came because she wants to be with the man she loves.”

“If she loved me so much she never would have moved on.”

“What do you mean?” You are at a loss for words. This is news to you. As far as you remember reading Peggy never moved on from Steve. “Who?”

“Some guy named Daniel. Apparently, he’s an agent.”

“Steve I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Steve pauses, looking at you as if for the first time. “It is just an example of how we are different people. Our lives have gone in different directions long ago. It is ridiculous for us to pretend otherwise.”

“Steve, I think we have other issues too.” Steve drops your hand and turns away. You sigh knowing that this topic is not what Steve wanted to talk about, but you also know that it needs to be settled.

“I am not in love with Tony.” You state simply.

Steve sits down on the sofa before looking up at you. “I know.”

“I care for him, I guess I always have in some way. But I don’t love him, not in the way he wants me to.”

“I know.” You sit next to Steve on the sofa.

“Then why?” You feel yourself getting angry. “Why did you push me away?”

“I was angry,” Steve admits.

“You hurt me.”

“I know, and I am sorry. I let my pride get the best of me.”

“I shouldn’t have run to Tony.” You blurt out, needing to say it.

“But you did.”

“I know.”

“Steve, I…I just thought…I needed someone, and he was there.”

“Tony understands it differently.”

“I know.” You sigh. “I made such a mess of this.”

“You are a lot like her.” Steve chuckles.

“Peggy?”

“No, Snow.”

“Oh, God!”

“Hey, she is essentially you.”

“Not really.”

“You are identical, same DNA.”

“But different life experiences.” You counter.

“Yes, I agree with you there.” Steve concedes. “Maybe I can explain this to Peggy.”

“Steve, I don’t think I am a good topic to discuss with her.” You smile at him. Steve smiles back softly. He leans in a bit. You feel yourself gravitating to him but stop yourself. You   
need to talk about your relationship.

“Steve, the baby. There is a slim chance it is Tony’s”

“Do we have to have this discussion now?” Steve pulls back looking into your eyes.

“I think we should get everything out in the open. Especially if we...”

“Of course.” Steve leans in kissing you, cutting you off. You are surprised then relax into the kiss. 

“Steve, what about Peggy.”

“What about her?” he tries to reclaim your lips, but you pull back.

“Do you still care for her?”

“Yes, of course, I do.”

“But…” You sense a but coming.

“I told you already.”

“You told me what you told her; I need to know how you really feel.”

“I love you; I want to be with you.” Steve begins. “You do want to be with me, right?”

“Steve I…”

Before you can say anything, he interrupts. “I mean I know you have feelings for Tony. And I won’t pretend that that bothers me because it does. I know that you may be having his baby.” Steve pauses shaking his head trying to absorb what he is saying. “I can get past this. I want to be with you despite all this. You made mistakes. I made mistakes. I think that we will probably make more mistakes. I just want us to make these mistakes together.”

You feel yourself tearing up. You were so afraid that Steve would be angry at you. You made some huge mistakes. Mistakes that would end most relationships, but here he is willing to look past them. Wanting to look forward to a future with you. “Steve, I love you.”, are all the words you can manage. He sweeps in kissing you deeply, fully.

“I love you too.” He smiles at you. “Both of you.”


	41. Chapter 41

“You look happy,” Bucky says to Steve when he enters the gym smiling broadly.

“I am.”

“Anything to do with a certain female?”

“I’ve been meaning to thank you.” Steve walks over to Bucky.

“For what?” Bucky stops lifting and sits on the bench.

“You talked to her and me. Without you, We never would have talked.”

“You would have eventually.” Bucky begins. “When you got over that huge chip on your shoulder.” He teases.

“I do not…” Bucky raises an eyebrow at him, and Steve stops speaking. “Fine, but without you, I may have been too late.”

“Anytime…punk.”

Steve smiles at his friend. “So are you going to actually work out or are you getting too old?”

“I can match anything you do.” Bucky counters getting defensive at Steve’s jests.

“I don’t want you to hurt yourself old man.” Steve chuckles clapping him on the shoulder as the two begin their morning workouts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
You are in the kitchen trying to decide what to make for breakfast for everyone. Since your pregnancy, you have had to bypass your morning workouts, so you opt to make breakfast for the team. Most seem to appreciate your efforts; Peter especially loves your French toast. The one person you have not seen at your breakfasts is Peggy. She seems to either be eating before you make your way to the kitchen or waits until you leave to eat.

This morning you want to make something special for Steve. You want to show him how happy you are to be with him again. With this in mind, you begin making all of his favorite breakfast foods. You are scrambling eggs while trying to decide how you're going to cope with Peggy begin around. You are no longer afraid that Steve is going to choose her. 

After your talk last night you know that he is with you. The fact remains, however, that she is still here. She is still someone who needs to be considered. After considering what is going to happen with her you make the decision to talk to Tony about her. You need to talk to Tony anyway, about you and Steve, but Peggy is an issue. 

Just as you are finishing the last of the food for your breakfast buffet you hear the first of the group stumbling into the kitchen. “You are a vision.” You chuckle turning around smiling.

“Careful there I am a committed woman.” You joke. Peter raises a brow.

“You and Cap made up?”

“I guess you can say that.” You wink turning back to the clean-up from your cooking. Peter wastes no time grabbing a plate and loading up. 

“The good ones are always taken.” Peter jokes.

“You just eat your breakfast.” You mock scold him with a smile.

“Yes, ma’am.” He answers while continuing to pile food on his plate.

“Are you giving my girl issues?” You hear Steve call from the other side of the room. You turn to smile at him. Steve and Bucky are showered and ready for breakfast.

“He’s fine. How was your workout?” You ask. Peter smiles around a mouth full of food. You can’t help but feel a kinship with the man. He is like a big kid, or puppy, and who doesn’t like either of those?

“It was good. Showed the old man what a real workout is like.” Bucky speaks up before Steve can. Steve shoots Bucky a look before pulling you into him for a brief kiss.

“Breakfast smells delicious.” He whispers in your ear.

“You gonna let him get away with that?” You ask Steve, knowing he and Bucky love pushing each other with competitive jokes.

“I have to let the old man win one now and again, otherwise he may just stop trying,” Steve says and Bucky lets out a good-hearted laugh. “You need to eat.” He says to you before turning to fill a plate for himself. You follow him and the four of you move over to the table to sit and eat.

Just as you sit. Tony walks in. “So, this smells delicious,” Tony announces, when he sees you sitting next to Steve his smile falters. “I assume we have you to thank for this spread this morning?” Tony asks you.

“Tony, I make breakfast every morning. You know that.” You fell a bit uncomfortable, shifting lightly in your seat.

“And I tell you every morning you should be resting, you are having a baby. We have a staff to make breakfast.”

“Tony, I told you. I need to do something. I cant just flutter around the compound waiting for the baby to be born.”

“Tony, this is not up to you!” Steve speaks up from next to you. “Y/N and I will be making decisions concerning her and our child.”

“Your child?” Tony spins on the both of you. “When was this decided?” You feel your stomach quell. You quickly glance around and see Peter quietly getting up putting his dirty dishes away.

“Tony.”

“What? I just think we are jumping ahead of the game here.”

“This is NOT a game Tony!” Steve slams his hand down on the table.

“What is this about games? I should love a good game; it has been painfully dull here lately.” You feel ice forming in your chest. Anxiety taking over you as you reach for Steve’s hand.

“Good morning Peggy.” Steve’s greeting is cold but polite. You feel Steve’s hand taking hold of yours.

“Good morning Steven. What is that delicious smell?” She walks over to the food laid out on the counter.

“Y/N makes breakfast for us since she is predisposed,” Tony says cheerfully. He is loving the idea of Steve being faced with the reality that his life is not perfect.

“I am suddenly not hungry.” You say weakly, getting up and leaving the room. You fight the tears back until you reach your room. You get angry with yourself. You wanted to be strong when you faced her and Tony, but you caved. The insecurities and hurt overwhelming you. It is only a few moments before you hear the door to your room opening and closing.

“I brought your plate. You need to eat more, for the baby.”

“I know.”

“You know I love you right?”

“I do.”

“I want only you.”

“I know Steve.”

“Then what is upsetting you?”

“I…I…Peggy is here. I don’t understand how you can choose me over her. Especially with the baby. Tony is right, the baby could be his.”

“Y/N, I told you. Peggy is not the woman I want.”

“Even if the baby is Tony’s?”

“That baby could be Thanos’s and I’d still love you and it.” You look at him in shock. “But I think it would be hard trying to explain him being purple.” Steve jokes and you cannot help but laugh while still sobbing. Steve never ceases to manage to cheer you despite your mood.

“I can’t believe you.”

“Y/N…” Steve softly caresses your cheek. “I love you, I have loved you from the moment we met. Nothing and no one is going to come between that, ever.” He leans in kissing you sweetly. “Now eat!” You chuckle and take the plate eating the rest of your food.


	42. Chapter 42

“Sir, she does not want to speak to you.”

“I don’t care! She lives in my building. I pay for everything for her.”

“Sir.”

“I am going to talk to her. Let me in!”

“Of course sir.”

Tony walks into your room unannounced. “We need to talk.”

You are startled from your reading. You look up putting your book aside. “Please just come in!” Your voice dripping with sarcasm.

“I made a mistake.”

“Tony…” Your heart going to him. You know it is hard for him to admit a mistake. This is huge.

“No, I need to say this.” He walks over to you, kneeling in front of you while you are sitting in the armchair. “I thought Peggy would be Steve’s happiness. That he could have a second chance to be with his first love.”

“That he would leave me for good.” You correct him.

“Yes, I admit that was a benefit to me.” Tony pulls over an ottoman sitting in front of you.

“Tony. Even if Steve did leave me for Peggy it doesn’t guarantee I’d choose you.” 

Tony raises an eyebrow at your words. “You already did. Once.”

“I…” You choose your words carefully. “I felt pushed. With Peggy’s arrival, I thought.”

“That you were going to be rejected by Steve.”

“It felt that way.” You agree.

“But now, the two of you.”

“Yes, we are together, for better or worse.” You smile.

“Did he…?” Tony seems unable to finish his question. You study his face, trying to understand what he is asking. Then it comes to you.

“NO!” You are surprised he even is asking. “We are just starting over.” You further your reply, hoping to show that you are happy.

“With a baby on the way, I’d have thought that maybe, with his old-fashioned values and morals.”

“That he’d propose?”

“Well…”

You look down at the book in your hands, you see Tony moving out of the corner of you eye. He sits on sofa nearby. You have wondered about this yourself. Steve has adapted to the common era, but his values have always held true. His lack of proposal is bothering you. You put it off thinking it is because of the chaos that has been in your lives since you discovered your pregnancy. That it just has not been the right time. 

But it has been weeks since you have reconciled. Despite Peggy still living on the compound you and Steve have become closer. Peggy has been keeping a respectful distance, and Tony has been pleasant, unnervingly so.

“Tony, why I Peggy still here?”

Tony looks away from you. “I don’t know.” He shakes his head. “She just keeps telling me that she is still waiting on Steve, but I don’t think she is being completely honest.”  
“She is definitely intense, in a subtle way.” You concede.

“She is a very confidant woman. I can see what Steve sees in her.”

“SAW in her.” You correct him.

“She seems to think there is something still there.”

“Where is she. Now.”

“She seems to be taken to the internet. I suppose it is quite a wonder to someone like her.” You can’t help but laugh at the image of her, a proper, pristine lady like Peggy stumbling across porn. “Where is Steve?” Tony asks pulling you from your thoughts.

“He and James are on a mission. Something Fury came up with.”

“Did he say what the mission was or where?”

“No.” You are not sure why Tony even cares.

“When is he going to be back?” You can hear the concern in Tony’s voice.

“I don’t know. A week?” You are getting irritated. You know Tony is concerned about something and you want to know what is going on. “Tony. What is this all about?”

“I like to know where my wards are.” Tony jokes. You know the snide remark is a distraction and no the truth.

“Tony, what is going on with Peggy?” You look directly at Tony. He shifts slightly, the look nervous and this scares you.

“She seems to be wanting to stay here, but I am unsure why. She keeps telling me she wants to spend time with Steve, but they hardly speak.” He sighs. “You don’t think she is getting sports scores of stock tips?”

“Tony!” You are getting more upset. “This not something to joke about!”

“I know.” Tony cowers. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” You have rarely heard Tony apologize for anything.

“I brought her here.”

“Tony…you didn’t know.”

“No, Y/N. I should have known.” He sighs. “I.” He considers the mess he created. “When I met with her, in her reality, she seemed different.”

“Different from how?”

“Well from how My father talked about her, and Steve. She seemed cold and distant. I assumed it was because she didn’t know me.”

“But she isn’t the same as the eggy they knew.”

“No, she isn’t.”

“Tony is there anything that can tell you what, who we are dealing with?”

“No, I met her at the same place Steve was created, injected. She was part of the SSR. She was commanding and tough. I thought she would be perfect…”

“You wanted her to take Steve away from me.”

“I did.”

“Do you really care about me that much or is this some vindictive act against Steve?”

“I care for you…”

“Tony…”

“Which is why I will leave you to be with Steve.”

“Tony?” You move to the edge of your seat, closer to Tony.

“I cannot cause you more pain. You love Steve. You may care for me, I don’t know why, but you do. I will be grateful for our time together, but I am not the man to make you happy.”

You can feel tears falling. You feel such affection and admiration for Tony right now. “Does this mean you are going to leave? Go back?”

“I am not sure what it means. I do know that I need to deal with Peggy. I brought her here and now I need to get her back home.”

“Did you tell Steve about your plans?”

“I didn’t really get a chance. You’ve been keeping him busy.”

“Tony!” You can’t hide your blush as you chuckle.

“I understand, if I had you, I wouldn’t let you out of my sight much either.”

“We have been getting ready for the baby.” Your hand subconsciously going to your stomach. You are only just starting to develop the tiniest bump.

“Get ting ready for the baby? Or trying to create a second?”

“TONY!” Tony laughs, and you get even more flustered.

“You are so beautiful when you’re flustered,” Tony says softly restraining a chuckle. You feel yourself shifting closer to Tony. He moves in, his eyes flicking to your lips. You feel time slowing. 

“I am sorry. Am I interrupting?” You hear a sweet voice from the doorway. You and Tony quickly pull away from each other. “I was hoping to invite Y/N to lunch. To make peace?”


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter. I apologize. I am trying to kick out chapters but I've been under the weather. I hope to finish this story by the end of the year. THANK YOU FOR READING!!!!

“Peggy.” You quickly stand up. Tony clumsily getting pushed aside when you bump into the ottoman trying to move out of the compromising position.

“Oh, it's quite alright. I am aware of Tony’s affections.” She says slyly, moving into the room. “But I was not aware you returned them.”

“I don’t.”

“Of course,” Peggy says with a wink.

“Why do you want to take Y/N to lunch?” Tony stands next to you protectively.

“I simply want to make peace. I feel my appearance here has caused an issue. I want to assure her that I only want to make amends.”

“You want Steve!” You shoot at her.

“I want Steve to be happy, whatever form that takes.” You glare at her. The answer was so polite and diplomatic.

“I am sure you do.” Sarcasm dripping from your lips.

“So, lunch then? If you prefer, we could meet there. If you have other engagements that require your attention first.” She looks over at Tony who is glaring at her. You feel your heart sinking. She is going to use what she saw between you and Tony against you. You need to talk to Steve first. You decide to go to lunch, hoping maybe you can persuade her.

“Of course. Yes, I will meet you there.”

“There is a wonderful little café on the corner of Sterling and Washington.”

“I know it.”

“Let’s meet there, say 1 o’clock.”

“That’s fine. I’ll see you then.” Peggy smiles brightly then turns and leaves.

Once she is out the door Tony speaks up. “I don’t like this.”

“It’s just lunch Tony.”

“She’s a devious little bitch. She is up to something and it’s not to get Steve.”

“Steve is the only thing she would want here.”

“She hasn’t even talked to Steve in weeks. Y/N, this is something else.” You give Tony a doubtful look. “If this is about Steve, why hasn’t she reached out to him?”

“He refused to give in to her.”

“Exactly, so why is she still trying. She knows Steve is not leaving you.”

Your concern grows the more you think about what she is up to. “Tony you don’t honestly believe.”

“I don’t know what to believe. You need to be careful if you go to lunch with her.” You nod.

“Tony, can I get a tracking device? Something that she won’t think to look for?”

Tony looks away thinking quickly. “I think I know something that will work, but it is permanent.”

“But only you can use it?”

“Well myself and anyone else who knows about it. And how to access it.”

“Fine. Let’s do it.” You nod, feeling safer knowing Tony will be able to track you, just in case. “I want Steve to know how to find me as well.”

“Of course,” Tony says. You know this will only show us where you are. It won’t prevent her from hurting you.”

“You think she might hurt me?” You watch his expression. “Do you think she is capable?”

“I honestly don’t know what she is capable of. She is not the person I thought she was.”

“Tony…maybe I shouldn’t…”

“No. If you already agreed you need to. If you don’t, she’ll begin to wonder if we are onto her. You could go and see what she is trying to do. I’ll send audio surveillance as well. Maybe that can help us to figure out what she is up to.”

“Tony, I am sure we are just being overly cautious.”

“I hope so, but I will put everything I can in place to keep you safe.”

“Thank you.” You sigh looking at what you are wearing. “I suppose I should get dressed if I am heading out for lunch.”


	44. Chapter 44

You arrive at the café to see Peggy is already there. You take the seat across from her. “I’m here so let’s talk.”

“Yes let’s. Tea? Coffee?” You nod reaching for the coffee pot left on the table and pour yourself a cup. “So, this morning. I apologize for interrupting you and Mr. Stark.”

“There was nothing to interrupt.” You blurt out, trying to stop her from saying more.

“It looked like there was something.” She takes a sip of her tea. “I wouldn’t blame you. The Stark men are very mesmerizing.”

“Tony and I have a past, but I put that behind me.”

“Have you?”

“Yes, I will always care for him, I admit he is an attractive man, but it is over.” You take a sip of the coffee. You flinch it is more bitter than you expect. You look around seeing sugar you pour some into the coffee. “What you walked in on was an intimate conversation that reminded me of the man I could have fallen in love with IF I had not already given my heart to another.”

“Of course.” She smiles at you, but you feel like you are looking at a Cheshire cat. “Steve and you are having a child.”

“Well, it may not be his.” You correct her but you know she knows this. You realize you have been playing into her manipulations from the moment you sat down. “But this is not what we came here to discuss is it?”

“No, I suppose not.” She sets her tea aside. “Steve and I talked, and he told me that he no longer is in love with me. He feels too much time has passed. We have changed too much.”

“Peggy…I don’t know what to say.”

“I know. There is nothing to say. You have his heart now.” She takes another sip of her tea. You reach over sipping on your coffee, it tastes much improved with the sugar to counter the bitterness, so you drink more. “And possibly his child.”

“If you agree that Steve is no longer in love with you then why have you stayed?”

“I am enthralled with the advancements here. The subtle differences.”

“Like what?” You ask drinking more of your coffee.

“Howard for one. He was much more independent in your world.”

This gets your attention. In the two worlds you have encountered, Tony for the most part remained constant. The only difference is his love for Pepper. “How is he different?”

“Well.” She smiles, secretly loving the fact that you are so interested in Tony. This will make it easier for her. “Howard’s father was a very intelligent funny but controlling man. I imagine having that figure over you your entire life hampers the ability of a man to find his own path.”

You nod, Tony said much of the same about his father, but this doesn’t explain how Howard was so vastly different.

“In my world, Howard’s wife died shortly after Tony was born. Killed actually.”

“Oh my…how?”

“He was working on an SSR project, the testing went wrong and as a result, she was lost. Howard threw himself into his work after that. He did not have time for trivialities like romance. He had a son to raise alone, which in my time is nearly impossible.”

“What about Steve?”

Peggy looks at you then down to her tea stirring it contemplatively. “Steve, my Steve helped Howard as much as possible, but they had a falling out shortly before I left. Steve left our team and shortly after he was killed, along with James.”

“Wait Steve and James were still alive when Tony was born?”

“Yes, the mishaps that took their lives here never occurred in my world.”

“So you and Steve, you were together for a while then.”

“We were, we were engaged when…” She stops. You watch her. Her expression flat, but you can see there are conflicting thoughts in her mind. “When I lost Steve.”

“Oh Peggy, I can’t imagine.”

“No, you can’t.”

“But this Steve, My Steve, cannot replace the man you love. They are literally two separate persons. I should know, I met another version of myself.”

“I was made aware of the circumstances that brought me here,” Peggy answers coldly.

“Peggy, you must know that you cannot stay here. In doing so you are going to be altering your own reality.”

“I am aware of the ramifications.” Peggy answers. You can feel her turning colder towards you. You are aware that you are probably telling her things she did not want to hear. Peggy waves over the waitress and orders a slice of cake. Welcoming the change in the topic you order a piece of the pie.

“Peggy, what do you pal to do if you stay?” You ask the question you wanted to be answered since she arrived. You take a drink of your coffee waiting for an answer. You are starting to feel a bit uneasy. You look at your coffee and think maybe it wasn’t such a good idea.

“I haven’t decided yet.” She replies. The waitress brings your pie and Peggy’s cake. “I guess that all depends on what happens in the next week or so.” She smiles that same disturbing smile from before.

You take a bite of your pie hoping it will settle the uneasy dizziness you are feeling. After a moment you take a second. The pie tastes too good to be believable. After four bites you resume your conversation. “What are you hoping is going to happen?” Curious as to what events are going to shape her decisions.

“You’ll see.” You look at her in confusion. Your vision begins to blur and your head feels heavy. You look down at the food you are eating then over to Peggy’s. She hasn’t eaten a single bite.

“Peggy, did you drug me?”

“No dear, I didn’t. They did.” You can’t respond, you just go numb and feel the urgent need to sleep. “It’s okay nothing given to you will hurt that precious baby of yours.” You try to protest but the world around you goes black.


	45. Chapter 45

“Boss, Mrs. Potts is here, and she is very upset.”

“Why is she here?” Tony sighs. He doesn’t have time for this. He needs to continue working on getting Peggy back where she belongs, even if it is involuntary.

“Unclear Boss, but she is very distraught. She is awaiting you in the common room.”

“I’ll be right there.”

Tony walks into the common room expecting a very angry Pepper, but what he finds is a sobbing broken woman. When she sees him, she gets up running to him. “Tony! They took her!”

“Took who? Y/N/?”

“NO! Morgan! They came in and just took her. I couldn’t do anything to stop them!”

“Who?” Tony can’t help but feel a hint of relief before he thinks of the little girl whose pictures he had been shown only a few short months ago.

“Your daughter!” She almost screams.

“Pepper…” Tony pulls her in for a hug. “I will help you find your daughter, but you have to tell me what happened.” Tony continues holding Pepper as she slowly calms herself down enough to talk.

“They came into our home. I invited them in.” She begins sobbing again.

“You invited who in?”

“Tony, I don’t understand. They were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. They were supposed to be there to protect us. They said there was a threat and they needed to move us to a safe house. They said you said you sent them.”

“Pepper, I didn’t send anyone.”

“I KNOW THAT NOW!”

“Pepper, we can’t help Morgan unless we calm down.” Pepper breaks down sobbing. “Now why didn’t they take you?”

“I…I…went to get some clothes packed for us. I left her in the living room with them. When I returned, they were gone? They never wanted me, just her.” She breathes in deeply. 

“Why do they want her?”

“I don’t know, but we will get her back. Listen I’m going to make some calls, see if I can get some people searching. And I’m going to call Steve home. I could use the backup.”

“Tony, just do what you can to find her.”

“I will.”

While Pepper paces around the common room Tony steps into the hall to make some calls. His first going to you. Your phone just rings then goes to voicemail. He sighs, maybe you turned your phone off so you’re not disturbed. His next call is to Steve.

“Tony? Is Y/N ok?”

“Yes, I think. I don’t know. But we have a bigger issue. Morgan, someone took her.”

“What?”

“Pepper just showed up here at the compound. She told me they said I sent them.”

“Tony, I realize this may not be the time to ask, but where is Y/N?”

“She is having lunch at Tom’s with Peggy.”

“She’s with PEGGY?!?!”

“Steve?”

“Tony, we found some intel. It's on Peggy. Tony, she has been working with Hydra. They are trying to use her to get start a resurgence.”

“Steve. Are you sure? This is Peggy we are talking about.”

“Tony. When you retrieved her from wherever you got her. Did you do any research on who she was?”

“Yes, well I made sure she loved you and you were dead.”

“TONY! Did you learn nothing from where you came from?”

“We can point fingers later! I need your help!” Tony’s voice carries through the hall, echoing back at him. “Listen, I have a very upset mother here. We need to get something going.”

“Ok.” Tony can hear something muffled. Then Steve returns. “We’re about 15 minutes out.”

“Good. We’re in the common room.” Tony finishes ending the call. He walks back into the common room.

“Well, that was Steve. He’ll be here in 15 with intel on who might have taken Morgan.” Tony sits next to her, wrapping his arm around her back pulling her into him. “Well find her Pepper, I promise.”

“If anyone can, you will,” Pepper says. “Morgan always believed you walked on water. Maybe you can live up to the hype.”

“Pepper…”

“She used to make you chart the stars with her every night.” Pepper trails off in thought. “You created a virtual reality program for her so she could see the stars whenever she wanted, but all she really wanted was to spend time with you.”

“She sounds like a special girl.”

“She is smart too, she never let you get away with anything.”

“I probably needed a girl like that in my life.” Pepper laughs softly.

“Did you want to see a picture of her?”

“Nothing would make me happier.” Tony wants to do anything to distract Pepper from what is happening.


	46. Chapter 46

“Y/N… Y/N…” You hear your name, but it is so far away. “How much did you give her?”

“Only a few drops.” You hear a voice that is more familiar. You can’t feel anything, but the voices are becoming clearer.

“You had better hope she and the child are unharmed.”

“There is no reason to think otherwise.”

“Peggy?!?” You finally manage to say. The two voices stop. You fight harder and manage to get slits of bright light into your vision. You push yourself a little harder and you open your eyes. You see two people standing near you. Peggy and a dark-haired man. 

You look past them and into the room beyond. It looks like a morbid cross between a hotel and a hospital room. You look down and see that you are not restrained, so the sedative must have paralyzed you. You hope it is not permanent. Peggy speaks drawing you from your thoughts.

“Y/N, how are you feeling?”

“Like you care.”

“Y/N, I bare no ill will towards you. This is strictly business.”

“What? Kidnapping me? Why?”

“It’s not you that we need,” Peggy replies smugly. You think about it. When you realize what they are up to, you want to scream.

“My baby.”

“Well, Steve’s baby, but yes.” She corrects you. “Originally, we were going to convince Steve to return with me, but there is you. So we had to improvise.”

“What are you going to do with my baby!” 

The dark-haired man steps into your line of sight. When your eyes fall on him you cannot believe your eyes. “We are going to take your baby.” He replies simply. “And we are going to take him back to our time. We will raise him as our own.”

You want to ask him why he’s doing this. But you are caught off guard by the new information. “Are you and Peggy together?”

“Yes.” You are so shocked. You don’t even hear the rest of what he says. You just continue staring as the two kiss deeply, in front of you, before he turns back to you. “Shortly after Peggy joined me. She tried to bring Steve with her when she left the SSR but…well, that man has always had a strong moral compass. Sad too, he would have made a great asset, I hated to kill him. We just couldn’t have him chasing after her or me. We had too much work to accomplish.”

“You. Killed. Steve?”

“Oh, no. Sorry Y/N, this world’s Steve is fine.” Peggy interjects. The news settling your pounding heart and racing mind. “He will miss the two of your though.”

“Peggy, we need to finish the last of the calculations.”

“I thought they were done?”

“I calculated for two. We have an extra passenger now.”

“Of course.”

“Peggy, Are you? Am I? Are you taking me back to your world?”

“Y/N. It won’t be for long. Just until the baby is born.”

“Peggy…Don’t.” You struggle to move now as she leaves your view. You continue to struggle until you become too exhausted. Only managing to slightly shift your legs and arms but not enough to lift them let alone get off the bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Tony!! Tony!!” Tony can hear Steve yelling. His voice carrying throughout the compound. Tony just sits and continues looking at photos of Morgan. Pepper going silent, the story she was telling Tony of the pumpkin carving incident left unfinished.

When Steve enters the common room Tony stands up. “I tried calling her a couple more times, but no one answers.” Steve marches over to Tony. “Why did you let her go? I asked you to do ONE THING! TO KEEP HER SAFE! You couldn’t even manage that!” Steve is seething with rage.

“Cap, I hate to say this, but she is her own woman.”

“Tell me you know where she is.”

“I do, but you’re not going to like who she is with.”

“I don’t care.” Steve answers. “Let’s go get her.” Not waiting for a response before turning to leave.

“Steve.” Steve stops and turns. He looks past Tony to Pepper sitting on the sofa. Seeing her there for the first time, tears streaming down her face. “They have Morgan.” Steve’s shoulders drop. He walks over and sits down next to her.

“Pepper, I know. We will find her too.” He pulls Pepper in for a hug. “I am pretty sure, the same people who have Y/N have her.”

“Pepper, I promise I will bring your daughter home,” Tony adds, stepping closer. Pepper forcefully pulls away from Steve.

“OUR daughter!” Pepper corrects Tony sternly. “She is your daughter too, even if you won’t claim her.”

Steve stands aside watching the awkward staredown between them. Tony drops his head and Pepper looks down into her lap before pulling out her phone and aging through more pictures of Morgan. “Pepper. We will find Morgan.” Steve says softly. Tony stands aside watching Pepper. His heart going out to her. He can’t help but feel the need to hold her and comfort her. But he thinks he is the last thing she wants right now, so he stays back.

Steve sees that Pepper is at least calmed so he steps away slowly. After backing away a few steps he turns back to Tony. “Let’s go get our girls.”

Tony nods, he takes a step to the door then pauses. He turns back toward Pepper, “Stay here until we bring them back. You should be safe here.”

“Tony.”

“Yeah.”

“I lo….” She stops herself. After a second she speaks again. “Be safe.” 

Tony studies her. After a moment he speaks. “You too.” Then she turns and leaves, Steve following behind.

After they get into the elevator Steve speaks up. “You could be with her if you wanted.”

“Awe, you giving up? And here I thought you two kids had gotten all coy again.”

“Tony…” Steve warns Tony. “I mean you and Pepper. She was good for Tony. Our Tony. And she looks at you like she did him.”

“I am not the man she thinks I am.”

“No, but you could be.”

The two men go silent as the elevator hits the garage level. They walk over to the most armored vehicle Tony has in his civilian stock, a large Hummer. “F.R.I.D.A.Y, pull up everything we know about where Y/N is, including all the information on Peggy Carter.”

“Yes, Boss.”

“Tony we are going to need more than information.” Steve points out to Tony. Tony closes the distance to the Hummer, seemingly ignoring Steve. Steve gets frustrated. “TONY!”

“Don’t worry Cap. We’re not going in with just my good looks.” He pulls out the keys, hitting the trunk button. The back opens to reveal a small arsenal. “You have met me, right? I am always prepared.” Steve just shakes his head. Examining the weaponry.

“Tony, when we get there. You need to go and find Morgan. I’ll get to Y/N. Understood. Just get Morgan and get out.”

“Got it Cap leave the heroics to you.”


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second to last chapter in this series. I have started a new story called "Reflecting on the Future". A crossover series between Avengers and Supernatural. The main relationships are Steve Rogers/Reader and Dean Winchester/Reader. Dean will be a bit dark in this one and I am still unsure who will ultimately be the one who the reader chooses. If you're interested check it out. I will also take requests.

When they pull up to the building neither are expecting to see a simple unassuming house. Tony pulls to a stop in front of the home. The two sit in the car for a moment. “Well, I guess we don’t have much ground to cover,” Tony says.

“Just because it’s a house doesn’t mean that we can relax. We stick to the plan.”

‘Of course. You’re the man with the plan.” Tony mocks.

“Tony. I am counting on you to stick to the plan.”

“I got it I got it! Get Morgan and get out.”

“I will find Y/N, I want to make sure Morgan is ok. If I know Peggy at all this will not be easy in and out the operation.”

“I got it. Can we just go now?” Tony says turning to Steve.

“Yes.” Steve jumps out moving to grab his gear. Tony getting out more slowly. He has an ungodly feeling this is not going to go that well. The two men work their way into the building. Tony going up and Steve heading to find the lower levels.

When Tony gets to the top of the stairs, he sees two men standing guard. They see him seconds later. Both raising their guns, one moving to what Tony assumes is a radio. Before they can act, he blasts them both. They fly into the wall behind them and slide to the floor. He runs to the door they were guarding hoping no one is inside except Morgan. 

He tries the knob and it’s locked. “Of course.” He blasts the handle off the door and opens it. Inside is a very lavishly set up little girls’ bedroom. On the pink ruffly bed lays Morgan. Tony walks over so as not to scare her. He kneels next to the bed. He gently puts his hand on the girl and shakes her slightly. “Morgan.” He whispers softly. She stirs. Then opens her eyes looking up to him.

“Daddy?” Her innocent voice groggy from being drugged. “Daddy, you come to get me?”

Tony is not sure how to respond. The sound of her calling him daddy is bittersweet. Her big brown eyes mirroring his own. At that moment he makes a decision. “Yes, pumpkin it’s me.”

“Is Mommy here?”

“No sweetheart. She is waiting at Daddy’s work for us. Uncle Steve is here thought.” Tony says hoping that is what she calls Steve.

“He is?” Her eyes go wide. “Is he here to get the bad men?”

“Of course.” Tony smiles. “But we need to get going. Uncle Steve wants us to wait by the car for him.” Tony reaches out to pick her up. She wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him deeply. 

“I missed you, Daddy.” She whispers kissing him on the cheek before burying her face in his neck. He smiles making sure she is secure against him before heading to the car. He hopes that Steve can get you as easily, but he doubts it will be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve slowly makes his way through the home until he comes to a door. Opening it, he heads down the stairs. When he hits the bottom it looks like a normal basement. He looks around, looking for cameras or doors. He begins trying to find something that is hiding a room or another level even.

Just past the washer and dry he finds shelf. After a few second of shuffling the contents of the shel his hand hits on something and the shelf moves revealing a short hallway with two doors. He opens the first to find a security room with four men. Men he dispatches quickly. There are 4 monitors. One showing the entrance of the home. When he sees this his heart sinks. They know he’s here. The three other monitors show rooms. One empty room that looks like a lab. The other a child’s room. He sees Tony in that one talking to Morgan. He watches as Tony picks the little girl up and leaves. 

Steve waits to see Tony leave out the front door before he goes on to the final camera. There he sees you sitting on a bed, Peggy had a gun pointed at you. His blood begins to boil. There is someone else in the room, a man. Steve tries hard to figure out who. He can’t shake the familiarity of the man. After watching for another second he sees his face. “SON OF A BITCH!” Steve burst into a panic running to the other room hoping that you are inside.

Steve busts the door down. He sees Peggy spin around pointing the gun at him. ‘Good, keep it pointed here.’ He thinks to himself. Then he turns to face the man.   
“What are you doing here?”

“Steve…” You say to him. Steve hears a crack, and he turns in time to see you fall to the bed. Peggy is holding the barrel of the gun. She just hit you with the butt of it.

“I am tired of listening to her whine.” She explains with a shrug.

“Don’t damage the merch sweetheart.” Peggy’s companion says. When he speaks Steve’s attention return to him.

“You son of a bitch!” Steve moves to attack him.

“Steve, don’t or I’ll shoot.” Steve stops in place. He looks back at Peggy. She has the gun pressed to your head. Steve sighs in defeat.

“Why her?” He asks. “Why not me?”

“You were the first objective. But well when Peggy told me about the child. It was such a better alternative.”

Steve lunges at him but stops short of contact when he remembers the gun. “Temper, temper.” The dark-haired man tsks. “And since we are on the topic, when did you develop such a fowl vocabulary Captain.”

“Go to hell, Howard!”

“Steve, if you would just let us…” Peggy starts, her voice dripping with saccharine.

“Let you what, kill the woman I love or take my child?”

“Captain Rogers, I think we can come to an agreement.”

“The only agreement I’ll allow is the two of you going back to the hell you came from and leaving Y/N and our baby here.”

“Now you know we can’t do that.” Howard almost laughs.

“Peggy, this isn’t you. You would never hurt a child, a baby.” Steve tried pleading with her. Out of the corner of his eye he sees the gun lowering just a bit.

“Peggy! Keep to the plan.” Peggy looks away from Steve. Her gaze moving to Howard behind him. She nods, her face gaining a new level of resolve. Steve gives up on her and turns to him.

“What did you do to her?” He asks Howard.

“Y/N, nothing. I swear. No harm will come to her. We simply want the child.”

“Not her, Peggy. What did you do to Peggy?”

“Nothing. She is here of her free will.” Howard begins shuffling closer to Peggy. Steve lets him. If he can get the two near each other he can take them down safer. Less chance that you will get caught in the fighting. “I guess after the SSR project took Maria from me, she helped me. Together we built our own little empire under a new umbrella.”

“Under Hydra.”

“Don’t get righteous with me!” Howard shoots back.

“Oh I wouldn’t dream of it.” Steve replies, sarcasm dripping from his lips.

“The SSR took everything from me. YOU took everything from me.”

“ME?” Steve shifts a bit giving Howard more room to get closer to Peggy and giving him a better angle to protect you when the fighting starts.

“Yes, You! If you would have said no to them. Denied them the ability to take your blood and run tests…”

“You were trying to replicate the super-soldier serum.”

“I worked with Erskine to create the original. They thought I was their best bet to recreate it.”

“But something went wrong?” Steve has them where he wants them. Now he is trying to position himself to protect you from gunfire.

“Yes,” Howards anger rising with his voice. “The base was compromised. The security failed to stop a group of people who broke in. They tried to get the serum. I was leaving for the night and Maria was with me. They held a gun to my head. They wanted the serum. I told them it there wasn’t any. They didn’t believe me, and they shot my wife in front of me.” He pauses the memory still fresh. “They would have gotten me too but that was when the crack-pot security finally arrived and captured them.”

“Howard, I am sorry.”

“No don’t do that! You have no right!” Steve steps closer, neither seem to notice.

“Steve.” Peggy begins to speak. Steve notices that she has not lowered the gun. Damn her resilience. “You were one of the men who were sent to bring down Howard after he left the SSR.”

“Makes sense, I know him.” Steve concedes.

“You almost killed Howard. If it wasn’t for me, you might have.” Peggy steps closer to Howard, putting a hand on his arm. Steve instantly puts it all together now.

“When you said I was dead in your world it wasn’t in the plane crash was it?”

“No, Steve. After you came after Howard…” She looks at Howard. “After I stopped you from killing him I felt I had to make a choice. I chose him.”

“So which one of you did it?” Steve genuinely wants to know.

“Steve, does it matter?”

“Yes.”

“I did.” Steve can feel his heart chill for a second. ‘Peggy? Peggy killed me?’ It was so foreign for him to think.

“Why?” he hears himself asking.

“When I chose to go with Howard. To help continue his work, I became enemy number one for the SSR. It was a matter of survival. I was the person you trusted most; it was easy for me to get close to you.”

“You bitch!” All eye going to you. You are finally coming to. Your head throbbing from the impact of the gun.

“Ah she’s awake.” Howard croons. Steve steps in front of you. The move finally making Peggy and Howard realize their mistake.

“Stay away from her.” Steve takes a defensive stance. “Your beef is with me. Leave her out of it.”

“I am afraid I can’t. You see she hold the key to my successful development of super soldiers.” Howard finished then looks over at Peggy. Peggy meets his eyes and nods. In a flash the two rush forward. 

Steve raises his shield instantly. He deflects a couple bullets from Howard while grabbing Peggy’s arm shoving her across the room. She lands on the floor and falls unconscious. Steve turns his attention to Howard pulling out his own gun.

Steve fires three shots as Howard dives behind a partial wall on the other side of the room. Steve hates to do it but he ahs to turn his back on Peggy and you in order to keep Howard in his sights. He sees Howard pop his head out long enough to shoot a couple more rounds. Steve deflects them with his shield and closes in. He draws his gun readying for the next time he can spot Howard. He doesn’t have to wait long. Howard pops out from the side of the wall and Steve shoots clipping him in the shoulder. Howard cries out falling back form the wall. Steve slowly walks up hoping to disarm the man. When he gets a foot a way Howard reveals a second guns and aims. Steve has no choice but to fire, hitting Howard in the head. Having eliminated one threat he turns to see Peggy next to you. Gun to your head.

“Peggy, put the gun down.” Steve says softly while holstering his own.

“No, You Bastard! You killed him!” She is sobbing. He eyes darting between the body of Howard and Steve. “I should end her right now.” Peggy presses the gun harder to your temple.

“PEGGY!” Steve calls out in panic. “I’m right here. I just killed Howard. I think I am the one you want to kill.” Steve can see the doubt in Peggy’s eyes, so he continues. 

“If it weren’t for me you never would have come here. Tony wouldn’t have needed you to come here. Howard would never have come here.” Steve continues watching for any weak point.

“Steve, we never…” Peggy begins to lower her gun. Steve continues talking trying to work his way forward. 

“I know. It has all gotten out of control hasn’t it.” Steve says softly. “You did what you needed to.” Steve gets closer his hand back on his gun. He hides it behind the shield.

Peggy looks at Steve then to Howard, and finally back to you. After seconds thought he mind becomes made up. “Stay back.” She pushes the guns against your head with a newfound vigor.

Steve stops. His hand getting tighter on the gun in his hand. “Ok.” He raises his free hand up. “Just let her go.” Peggy loosens her grip on you. You struggle a bit. All you manage to do is pull a bit further away from her. 

“If I let her go, you’ll kill me.”

“Peggy, I am not that man. You know that. Remember how we talked. I told you how much I loved you. Love you.” Steve sees Peggy loosening her grip on you a fraction more. He is sure she down not realizes what she is doing. He looks to you and you look back. You can see in his eyes that he wants you to push her away on his signal. You watch him patiently waiting.

“Steve…you…” Peggy seems to consider this.

“Now!” Steve shouts. You shove Peggy with all your might. You break free just in time to hear gunshots ring out. Everything begins to move in slow motion. You hear yourself scream as you hit the floor next to the bed. You lay there waiting to feel pain. Nothing comes you are unharmed.

You look at Steve, fear filling your mind. ‘God, she killed Steve, again.’ You don’t see any blood on Steve. He is staring at something. When you begin to move, he spins toward you. The whole sequence seems to take minutes in your mind, but in reality it is only seconds.

“Y/N, are you okay?” Steve picks you up cradling you to him.

“I’m ok.” YOu start sobbing into his chest. He continues holding you to him, he is crying too. You can feel the tears wetting your hair. “I thought for a second that I lost you.” He pulls you back kissing you deeply. When he breaks the kiss you mind is calmer. That’s when you realize that Peggy is still there.

“Steve, Peggy?”

“She’s dead.” You go into shock. ‘Did he just tell you he killed Peggy?’

“Steve?” You want to make sure you understand him.

“Shhhhh.” He quiets you. “Let’s go.” He effortlessly carries you from the house. You rest your head against his chest. You close your eyes allowing his heartbeat to sooth you. When the two of you emerge from the house you hear Tony.

“About time I was about to go in there after you.”

“Tony, can you take her. I need to go back and get the bodies.” Steve doesn’t wait fro an answer before handing you to him. Tony takes you easily.

“Bodies?”

“We have a lot to talk about.” Steve says before turning to leave. The sound of defeat in his voice evident.

Tony lays you across the back seat. Morgan moving over to make room for you. You smile when you see her.

“Auntie Y/N, the bad men got you too?”

“Yes, Morgan but we are okay now.” Morgan nods emphatically.

Tony gets into the front before turning to look at you. “Who is Steve bringing out?” Tony asks, curious as to why Steve feels the need to personally see to this himself.

“Peggy and…” You consider lying but then decide against it. He will find out eventually. “Howard.”

Tony’s face fills with surprise. “Howard?” He asks and you nod not saying anything else. “Oh, God.” Tony finished turning around in his seat looking out the window.   
The conflicted look on his face telling you where his mind is.

A minute later Steve comes out carrying two large tarped rolls. He opens the back of the Hummer and puts the bodies in. He climbs into the front seat and after glancing at Tony looks back to you. “You okay?” He asks you.

“Are you?” You ask him in return.

“I will be.”

Tony pulls the truck away. You watch the house disappear in the rear window before curling up in the seat and fall asleep. The day draining you of all energy.


	48. Chapter 48

When the three of you get back to the compound you find Pepper waiting. When Morgan sees her, she jumps out of the car and runs up to her. Pepper scooping her up in a desperate hug. “Oh my God.” Pepper cries happy tears. “Thank you.” She looks at Tony, then to Steve. Pepper pulls Morgan back looking her over. “Are you ok, baby? Did they hurt you?”

“No, Daddy saved me.” Morgan answers. 

“Morgan…” Pepper starts to explain. “Daddy…”

“Wants to get some ice cream. What do you say?” Tony interrupts his eyes meeting Pepper’s. Pepper’s mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out. She simply nods, a smile spreading across her face.

You watch as the three head into the compound. “Steve, what should we?” You turn to Steve and stop the second you see what he is doing. “Steve, is this the place to?” He is pulling the bodies from the back dropping them onto the ground.

“Bucky is coming to help me, we’re going to bury them in the woods.” He stands over them staring at them with his hands on his hips.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Steve, you just killed Howard and Peggy.”

“I know.”

“You can’t shut me out.”

“I’m not.”

“Steve, I know you are hurting. I can’t begin to understand the full extent of what you must be feeling.”

“I did what I had to. I protected my family.” Steve says.

“No one si judging you. You saved me and our baby. I love you more for that. I just think that…” You are unsure how to continue. “Peggy was your first love.” You look at the tarps. 

“Even if this is not your Peggy, she represented a version of her.”

“She gave me no choice.”

“I know…” You step closer to Steve, resting your hand on his arm. “I love you, Steve.”

“I don’t know how you can?” His voice is choked. “I just killed the woman I claimed to once love in front of your eyes. You should be scared of me.”

You step in front of Steve; you take his face in your hands. “Steve, if anything I feel safer with you.” You rise up on your tiptoes and kiss him, gently at first, but then he returns the kiss. Within seconds the kiss turns hungry. He grabs you, lifting you to him, he walks you back against the side of the Hummer. His hands roaming your body while his kiss turns ravenous. You tighten your grip around him, grinding your hips into his.

“If you two are busy I can come back later.” Steve breaks the kiss slowly. Then gently places you on the ground. You hid your face to cover your blush as you turn towards Bucky.

“James.” You greet him.

“James? Wow, I really interrupted something didn’t I?”

“Hey Buck,” Steve straightens up. “We have a disposal situation.” He gestures to the makeshift body bags.

“Damn Steve, that’s a bit cold,” Bucky says looks t the rolls then back at him.

“They tried to take Y/N and my baby from me.”

“Enough said.” Bucky moves into action grabbing one of the rolls while Steve grabs the other. 

Steve turns to you. “We’ll be back soon.” He leans in kissing you softly. “Then we can continue where we left off.” You feel your body tingling in anticipation.

“I’ll see you, inside.” You look at Bucky the at Steve before turning and heading inside.

You head to the common room to get a drink. When you get there you find Tony and Pepper sitting on the sofa. Morgan is playing with something that looks like one of Tony’s tech devices. They are laughing and joking with each other when you walk in. Tony looks up, seeing you he smiles, and nods. You smile back and go to grab a water from the fridge.

“Y/N, Hey.” Pepper calls out to you. He gets up walking over to you. You go to meet her greeting her with a hug. “Are you ok? Tony told me what happened.”

“I’ve been better, but I’ll be fine.” You force a smile. “I am so happy to see you and Morgan are reunited.”

“Yeah, Thanks to Tony.” Pepper smiles back at him.

“I am glad to see that you are getting along.” You can’t help but be happy that Tony is finally spending time with Pepper and Morgan.

“Daddy’s coming back home with us. Right, Mommy.” Morgan says brightly, looking up from the device in her hands.

“Sure kid, if he wants to.” She looks at Tony. 

Tony smiles back. “I can do that.”

“And on that note, I’m going to take a shower.” You announce walking to your room.

Just as you get out of the shower Steve walks in. He is dirty and sweaty. “Steve.” You can see the pain in his eyes. “Is it done?”

“It’s done.” Steve sits on the bed. You sit next to him. After a moment of watching his head hang low, you climb onto his lap.

“Steve, thank you.”

Steve looks up at you. The shock in his eyes turning to love. “You are amazing.”

“Steve, you are. I would not be here without you.”

“I want you to know that I would never replace you with anyone. You are exactly who I would choose no matter what.”

“Steve…”

“No, let me say this. I fell in love with you the moment you walked through the doors of the conference room. I cannot imagine my life without you.” He leans in kissing you.

“I feel like everything has finally come together.” You say when the kiss ends.

“Yeah.”

“I mean, we are where we need to be, and Tony is finally accepting Pepper and Morgan…”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah he is moving home with them.”

“Speaking of home.”

“Yeeaasss?” 

“I was thinking maybe it was time we got our own.”

“Our own what?”

“Home.”

“Steve, I never…”

“I know but I think we need to. The baby needs to be away from all this. And I think I am ready to retire.”

“Steve. Are you sure?”

“If today taught me anything, it’s that life is short. I never pictured raising my family here. And now that we have Tony settled. I think retirement is in order. I am over 100 after all. Long overdue for retirement.” You chuckle.

“Yeah, you are an old man.”

“Hey now.”

“It’s okay, you’re a hot old man who is amazing in bed.”

“Oh is that how it is.”

“Well I think so, am I wrong?”

“I’d like to think not.”

“Well, maybe you can show me.” You flirt.

“You are going to be the death of me.”

“Well, at least you’ll die happy.”


End file.
